


Family Circle

by EzraTheBlue



Series: Over The Moon [5]
Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Japan, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Just a little angst, Kid Fic, M/M, Mentions of past child abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-04-17 15:39:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 30,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14192268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EzraTheBlue/pseuds/EzraTheBlue
Summary: Gojyo and Hakkai start to introduce one another and their kids to the others in their orbit, bringing surprises of many kinds...





	1. Uncles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lepetiterik](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lepetiterik/gifts).



**Family Circle**

**1: Uncles**

“It's just dinner, you know.” Gojyo chuckled a little as Hakkai smoothed Shinobu's part for the umpteenth time, knelt down on the sidewalk outside of Hakkai's home. He should have guessed Hakkai was going to make a big deal out of this when he'd gotten there to find Hakkai tying a Windsor knot and straightening Shinobu's suit jacket, only to take in Gojyo in his usual tee and denims and Hanabi in a polka-dotted jumper and hurriedly usher Shinobu back into his bedroom to change into more casual clothes. Shinobu grimaced but patiently tolerated Hakkai fixing his hair, which stayed flat and smooth until the precise second Hakkai stopped flattening it down (at which point it sprung back up into the same odd little cowlicks that manifested at Hakkai's part too). Gojyo patted Shinobu on the back and winked at him. “We're just goin' to a house you ain't been to before, to meet some new people and have a tasty meal.”

“Yeah, but Daddy says we gotta make a good first pressure.” Shinobu nodded sagely, and Hakkai chuckled.

“A good first impression. And Gojyo, please understand, I do wish to make a good impression on your brother.”

He and Hakkai had been dating for three months now, and Jien had finally nailed Gojyo to the wall: “You keep tellin' me about him, I wanna meet him! How many times do I gotta hear, 'Me and Hakkai' this and 'Hakkai and Shinobu' that before I put some faces to those names you love saying?!” After a little finagling, Gojyo got an evening free and got Hakkai to promise to leave his cell phone off, and it was time for Gojyo to introduce Hakkai to his brother's family.

Gojyo had only stalled in the first place because he hadn't thought of it. Jien was right. Hakkai was Gojyo's second-favorite person in the world, and it was time Jien met the man who'd illuminated his life.

“Pfft.” Gojyo rolled his eyes, hands tucked tight in his pockets. “No worries. You're not gonna have to try that hard. Me an' Jien, we're both a little rough around the edges, so it don't take much to impress us. Why do you think I'm always so damn impressed by you?”

“Be that as it may, it'll make me feel guilty if I don't make an effort to show him I'm worthy of your attention.” Hakkai caught and held his eye. “He's your only family, you said?”

“Only one alive. Only one that matters, anyway.” Gojyo shrugged, until the raised eyebrow Hakkai was giving him reminded him that his 'normal' was pretty different from what most considered 'normal.' “Uh, I had a stepmother, and she's alive, but she and me don't get along, like, at all. She and Jien don't talk anymore, either. My dad and mom, like, the ones who made me, are, well...”

Suddenly, Hanabi tugged his hand to jerk him out of his train of thought, pointing down the road. “It's Uncle, Uncle's here!”

Gojyo turned and grinned to see Jien's old sedan puttering towards them, a rattle in the motor but the machine itself gliding down the narrow road with care. “Hey, look at that, our ride is here!”

“Ah, so it is.” Hakkai chuckled through his nose and took Shinobu's hand in his right, but tugged Gojyo's sleeve with his left. “We'll have to pick up this conversation later.”

“Right.” Gojyo swallowed and felt his guts twist a little, but stepped to the curb and waved just as Jien pulled to a stop and put his hazard lights on. Jien stepped out, big, broad and long, his dark hair the same kind of mess it always was, and his grin big and bright as Hanabi ran right up to him.

“Uncle!”

“Hey there, shortcake!” Jien scooped her right up into his arms and lifted her over his head with ease, swinging her around as she squealed with laughter, and Gojyo just snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Ah, you damn show-off, you keep doin' that and she'll start thinking she can do that to me every time I come in the door!”

“Like you don't do it half the time anyway!” Jien cackled back, but he gave Hanabi a big smooch on the cheek and set her down, but crouched to follow and mussed her hair. “How ya been, Hana-chan?”

“Very good!” Hanabi curtsied a little, but ducked under his hand and stepped back, only to gesture to Shinobu and Hakkai. “Uncle, this is Shinobu-kun and Mister Hakkai!”

Jien glanced up to them, though Gojyo had already seen him glance to them between greeting Hanabi and teasing him. “So they are.” He rose and promptly extended a hand to Hakkai. “I'm Sha Jien, though I'm sure Gojyo's told you as much.”

“He has, yes.” Hakkai bowed at the waist as he shook Jien's hand. “Cho Hakkai, but Hakkai is fine.”

“Hakkai-san, it's a pleasure.” Jien bowed back, not too deep, then turned a warm smile to Shinobu. “And this is your son, correct?” He knelt down again, holding a big hand out. “You can call me Jien- _onii_ -san, if you like.”

Shinobu eyed Jien's hand, then edged back behind Hakkai's legs, whispering, “Daddy...”

Hakkai, however, sidestepped Shinobu to expose him again. "When someone offers their hand like that, it means they would like to shake yours."

Gojyo saw Shinobu's focus flick up and down over Jien's crouched form, then over the breadth of his shoulders -- the kid had probably never seen anyone as big as Jien before. Shinobu finally made to hide again, and Jien chuckled.

"Sheesh, I didn't mean to scare the tyke." He eased back on his haunches to put a little more space between himself and Shinobu, as Hakkai shook his head.

"I'm the one who must apologize for him; he's a bit timid with new people." Gojyo noticed Hakkai giving Shinobu a little pinch on the shoulders, and Shinobu tensing up even more, as Jien shook his head.

"That's okay; I'd just really hoped to make a good first impression."

Hakkai sighed and looked mournfully down to Shinobu. "So had we."

This seemed to hit a nerve, and just as Jien went to push himself to a stand off his knees, Shinobu rushed forward and pushed Jien as hard as his tiny frame could. It wasn't a hard shove, but with Jien already off-balance, he tumbled onto his backside and splayed on the sidewalk, only barely catching himself on his elbows. Gojyo gaped, and Hakkai gasped and took hold of Shinobu's shoulders.

"Shinobu, whatever possessed you--"

"Good first 'pressing,'" Shinobu squeaked. "See? I did it!"

Jien, who hadn't moved, busted out laughing at that, and easily rolled back to his feet. "You sure did! Pressed the heck out of me!" He held his hand out again, palm flat this time. "How 'bout low-fives? Can I get a low five? Usually Hanabi-chan only bowls me over with cuteness."

Shinobu looked to Hakkai again, who oh-so-patiently nodded, and Shinobu gently patted his hand against Jien's palm. Jien grinned at him, kneeling down again. "So, now we got past the first impression, let's not push anymore, okay?"

Shinobu nodded, already creeping back behind Hakkai again. "Okay."

Gojyo couldn't help but exhale all his relief in a whuff. "Brave of ya, Shinobu." He winked at Hakkai, but Hakkai's smile was still all twisted up with tension. He clapped his hands together in hopes he could break that. "Hey, how about we all pile in? Don't wanna keep Kougaiji waiting, do we?"

"Yeah, he's fixing something special tonight." Jien looked to Hakkai and Shinobu. "You prefer shotgun or back seat, Hakkai-san?"

"Ah, I'll ride in the back with the children, if you don't mind." Hakkai kept an indicative hand on Shinobu's shoulder, and Jien gamely opened the back door to his car.

"She's got a rattle in the muffler, but she drives as smooth as the day I bought her."

Gojyo buckled Hanabi in the back, and Hakkai seated himself in the middle and helped Shinobu belt in, then piled in the shotgun seat next to Jien. Jien pulled away from the sidewalk and drove for the outskirts of the city, and Gojyo listened as Jien quizzed Hakkai on all the things Gojyo had told him: what he did for a living, how long he'd lived there, how he and Gojyo met. Hakkai actually laughed aloud at that question.

“It's rather a funny story, really...” Hakkai put his arm around Shinobu's shoulder. Gojyo could see Jien smirking too as he retold the tale, with only a little help from Hanabi.

Jien had moved out to a quiet neighborhood as soon as he'd been able to, the last stop on his train line but just close enough to still be considered part of the same city. His house was a squat, sloped-roofed little cottage on the end of the row, but Jien held the gate open with all the pride of a man welcoming dignitaries to a mansion. “Make yourselves comfy, Hakkai-san, Shinobu-chan! Kougaiji's probably in the kitchen, but I just know he'll come running when he hears us come in.”

“Kougaiji?” Shinobu looked to Hakkai, but Hanabi answered:

“My other uncle!”

Gojyo caught Hakkai's eye as they walked to the door in tandem. “Didn't I tell ya?" He grinned sheepishly. "I guess some things kinda run in the family, y'know?”

“I see.” Hakkai nodded his understanding, as Jien opened the door. They were greeted by the sound of chirpy electronic music from somewhere in the house, and the warm, rich scent of meat sizzling in a wok. Jien walked in first, slipping his shoes off and calling into the house:

“Kou, I'm home!”

“There in a moment.” Ever formal, Gojyo thought as he pulled his shoes off and hung Hakkai's jacket in the closet. Kougaiji emerged from the kitchen as Hakkai slid the loaner house slippers on, but before he got a chance to greet Hakkai, Hanabi bounded up to him.

“Uncle, Uncle, it's been forever!” She halted on her heels, and Kougaiji, his cropped red hair covered with a bandanna and a plain apron tied around his waist, sauntered towards her, then took a knee.

“Hanabi- _hime-sama,_ it has been too long.”

Hanabi giggled with delight, then spoke in a mock regal voice, “Rise, Prince Kougaiji!” He stood, smiling down at her, and she threw her arms around his knees. He patted her back, smiling subtly albeit with obvious fondness, then turned his attention to Hakkai.

“It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Kougaiji, Jien's partner.”

“The pleasure is mine.” Hakkai bowed, and Kougaiji bowed back, then turned to Shinobu.

“Would you come a little closer, young man?” Kougaiji held a hand out to beckon Shinobu, but he timidly tiptoed towards him, only to slap his palm and run right back to Hakkai. “Ah--”

“Shinobu,” Hakkai sighed, then shook his head and mouthed an apology.

“He's good at low-fives,” Jien pitched in with a grin, and sidled up to kiss him on the cheek. “Where's Lirin?”

“In the den downstairs with the Switch. I think she said something about Mario Kart?” Kougaiji tapped Hanabi's shoulders, and she bounced back and rocked on her heels.

“Can I play?” She whipped around to Gojyo. “Daddy, can I play Mario Kart with _nee_ -chan?”

“Go ahead, but if Daddy comes down to play, you better leave King Koopa for me!” Gojyo grinned and wagged a finger, then shooed her off. “Go have fun, we'll holler when dinner's ready.” He turned around. “Shinobu, you wanna go too? Lirin- _nee-_ chan is way more fun than us boring adults.”

Shinobu turned nervously between Hakkai and Hanabi, until Hakkai tapped his back to nudge him forward, and Hanabi seized his arm with both hands and dragged him towards the basement stairs.

“Don't be such a nudge! I told you, Uncle Jien and Uncle Kou are the best! Uncle Jien is good for wrasslin' and playin' around, and Uncle Kou throws like, _the best_ tea parties, and Lirin- _nee-chan_...” She kept yammering as she dragged him down the stairs. Gojyo and Hakkai traded looks, and shared a laugh.

“She has all of the spunk he seems to lose in unfamiliar social situations.” He turned to Kougaiji and Jien and bowed at the waist again. “I do apologize for him--”

“No, no need.” Kougaiji smiled in his usual sedate way. “Both Jien and I are familiar with children who are slow starters when it comes to new people, or even just the more reserved type.”

“You learn patience when you teach middle school, y'know?” Jien added, then motioned down the hall. “How about we finish getting dinner together? Gojyo, you go on and set the table.”

“Right, right.” Gojyo followed Jien down into the kitchen with Hakkai a step behind. The kitchen was small and cramped, but that just meant that whatever Kougaiji was cooking filled the room to overflowing with warm scents. Gojyo went to their hutch to get out napkins and set out extra cushions, as Kougaiji went to the stove to check on a pot of something bubbling away, then glanced to Hakkai.

"Sorry to ask this of you, as you are our guest, but it's my understanding you're handy in the kitchen. Would you kindly grind two tablespoons of sesame seeds in the pestle?"

"It's no trouble at all." Hakkai found the mortar and pestle waiting on the counter and measured the sesame seeds into it, as Jien busied himself getting the plates out. "Did you say you taught middle school, Kougaiji-san?"

"We both do," Jien answered, and Kougaiji laughed softly.

"I teach music. Jien teaches physical education and health, but he goes between the middle school and high school."

"Small schools out here," Jien added, then leaned over Kougaiji's shoulder as he turned the meat in the pan. "Lookin' good as always!"

"As are you." Kougaiji turned his head to give Jien a quick peck on the cheek, then returned his attention to the wok. Gojyo made mock-gagging noises from the table, and Jien rolled his eyes and went in to set the plates out. Hakkai smiled wryly to himself.

"Is that how you met? At work?"

"No, certainly not. We've been friends since we were teenagers." Kougaiji turned partway from the wok, still tossing the meat with a long set of chopsticks while keeping polite eye contact with Hakkai. “We met in school and we've been fast friends since. He's stood by me through my most difficult times, and--”

Just then, there was the approach of stomping footsteps from below, and a red-haired girl, no more than ten, wearing brightly colored clothes and very short shorts, hustled into the kitchen and skidded to the refrigerator. “M'gettin' sodas for the kiddies!”

“Lirin, no.” Kougaiji caught her by the shoulder. “What do we do before offering Hanabi anything?”

“Ugggghhhh.” Lirin moaned and slouched, canting her head back and rolling her eyes hard. “We ask her Dadddddyyyyyy.” She easily broke away from Kougaiji and bounced to the gap between the kitchen and den. “Hey, Uncle Gojyo, can I give Hanabi and the little boy a melon soda?”

“None for Hanabi, not this close to dinner.”

“Fine.” Lirin rolled her eyes again. “And what about the new one?”

“You're gonna have to ask his Daddyyyy.” Gojyo imitated her moan and stuck his tongue out at her, then flipped the back of his hand at her before getting back to rolling out place mats. “The handsome one with the glasses in the kitchen.”

Lirin pivoted around again, looked Hakkai up and down, then cocked her head. “Holy crow, it's like a big version of the little one.”

“Ahaha! We hear that too often.” Hakkai smiled brightly, clasping his hands. “But I must concur with Gojyo, no soda for Shinobu right now. It gives him heartburn unless he has it after eating something.”

Lirin heaved a big sigh and turned to Kougaiji with only the drama a ten-year-old girl could muster. “Then can _I_ have--”

“We're having dinner in ten minutes, and the soda will fill you up. Please be patient.” Kougaiji put his hands on his hips, his face tight but still wearing a smile. “Will you introduce yourself to Gojyo's boyfriend?”

This got Lirin to do a double-take at Hakkai. “Wait, is that why he's here?!” She skidded back over to him on her socks, then circled around him, her head bobbing below his elbows as she examined him from all sides. “Gosh, Gojyo's dating someone like _you_? He really hit the jackpot, Gojyo's luck is nowhere near this good!”

“Lirin!” Kougaiji put an edge in his tone now, and Lirin pivoted around and straightened up, trying to look innocent. Kougaiji heaved a sigh and pinched his brow. “Please be polite to our guest.”

“Sure, whatevs.” Lirin shrugged, then whipped around to Hakkai. “I'm Lirin, Kou's sister! The little guy is your son?”

Hakkai had been mildly amused, and couldn't help but smile despite being just a little overwhelmed. “I'm Hakkai, and yes.”

“He's cute! Like you! Plus, he's wicked with the red shells.” Lirin grinned. “I'm only letting him an' Hana _-_ chan win a little – oh man, I better not leave 'em waiting!” She grabbed a bottle of juice out of the refrigerator and bolted back out of the room as fast as she'd come, and Kougaiji heaved a huge sigh as her stomping echoed out.

“Let it go, she's doing her best,” he muttered to himself, then massaged his forehead in his thumb and forefinger. Hakkai quickly turned his attention back to the mortar and pestle, as Kougaiji shook his head and spoke aloud. “My younger sister. I raised her like Jien raised Gojyo.”

“Oh, I see. So, you have that in common.”

“Sort of.” Kougaiji put on a lopsided smile, focusing on the pan instead of Hakkai. Hakkai couldn't tell if it was shame or if he was genuinely just intent on finishing the meal, but he caught Hakkai's eye for a moment. “Though it's not exactly the same. I have legal custody, but her mother is--”

“A rotten bitch who'd burn if she set foot in a temple,” Jien muttered as he tromped back into the room. Kougaiji shot Jien a wide-eyed look that Hakkai couldn't distinguish between anger and shock, but Jien put his hands up and took a step back. "Sorry, uncalled for, especially around new company."

"No, perhaps I should explain." Kougaiji removed the pan from the heat but kept at stirring it as he spoke. "Lirin belongs to my father's second wife. My father traveled often for work, and I was a teenager already, working part time jobs and cramming for college, so Lirin was alone with her. None of us saw the danger until it was too late."

"The damage is long-since-done." Jien's voice was dark and deep like so much murky water. "Kougaiji came home one day and found his toddler sister blue and ran her to a hospital. They said the old witch shook her so hard her brain swelled up. She was lucky to live and lucky to be as close to normal as she is."

Hakkai felt his heart jump in his chest. Gojyo had stopped where he stood, listening with a pained expression as if he'd never heard before. The entire world seemed very, very still. Kougaiji, for his part, just clicked his tongue.

"I got her out of there and fought to get her into my custody. She and my father failed to fight back. I've raised my baby sister on my own since I was eighteen." He paused, then looked to Jien. "Not alone, though. Never alone."

Those words and Jien's faint smile told Hakkai more about what sat between them than any other explanation or history could have. "You're fortunate to have had such good help." He peered at the stove. "Were those fernheads ready for the sesame seeds?"

"Ah!" Kougaiji spun back to the stove and grabbed the bubbling pot. "Let me blanch them -- could you add a splash of mirin and soy sauce to the pestle? I'm going to toss these in there."

"Understood." Hakkai easily found the bottles, and Gojyo crossed through the kitchen as Hakkai and Kougaiji got back to work finishing dinner, just to pass behind Hakkai and murmur into his ear:

"I'll check on the kids. Thanks for helpin' Kou." He left down the other hall, and Kougaiji tapped Hakkai's hand as he set a colander of bright green fernheads beside him.

"Please mix these up, I'll get a serving bowl." Kougaiji turned and retrieved a platter, and Hakkai noticed that he'd lined up more dishes all over the counter, a pot of soup, mixed rice, grilled long beans, and chicken pieces tossed in sweet and sour sauce.

"My goodness, a classic spread. It reminds me of home, when I was young."

"The same, for me. This is how my mother would cook for company, while she lived." Kougaiji smiled wryly. "I often think of what she would have done for Lirin, had she a chance to know her."

"I think of my parents when I think of Shinobu, as well." Hakkai didn't mention that it was for what not to do. "I only hope I'm not too strict with him."

"I don't think I could be strict with Lirin if I tried," Kougaiji said with a laugh in his tones. "Then again, I doubt she really notices even when I am." He seemed to recall something and spoke just a little louder. “Jien, call up Gojyo and the children, we're serving!”

There was a huge cheer from below, and Jien smirked and shook his head. “Sounds like they just finished a round anyway.”

Hakkai found that spaces had been left for him and Shinobu at the center of the table, and Gojyo sat with Hanabi across the table where he could face him. Jien and Kougaiji took the ends, and Lirin wedged herself into a corner next to Kougaiji. Hakkai took up the chopsticks at his place, but hesitated, until Jien clapped his hands together.

“Thank you for the food.”

“Thank you for the food!” Gojyo, Lirin, and Hanabi all echoed, and Gojyo promptly turned to serve Hanabi.

“Looks like we got Kou's famous sesame fiddleheads, short stack. You want some of those and some of the grilled green beans?”

“I don't like green beans.” Hanabi stuck her tongue out, but Gojyo rolled his eyes and put a few on her plate.

“Do me a favor, try these green beans before you decide you don't like 'em.”

Hanabi moaned as Gojyo used the large end of his chopsticks to put the ferns and beans onto her plate, as Lirin tapped Hakkai on the wrist.

“Hey, pass the rice!”

“Oh, certainly.” He scooped rice out for himself and Shinobu before handing her the bowl, as Kougaiji reminded Lirin to say 'please' and Gojyo passed Hakkai the chicken.

“Here, you take first. I'm gonna make sure my little miss eats her veggies before she gets the good stuff.” This got another moan out of Hanabi, even as Hakkai served a portion of chicken to Shinobu before himself. As he got another whiff of the chicken in sauce, he couldn't help himself: “This does smell delightful, Kougaiji-san. Would it be troublesome if I asked you for the recipe?”

Kougaiji looked surprised a moment, then subtly pleased. “Certainly, I'll write it down for you.”

“Pfft, it's the same boring chicken he always does.” Lirin snorted through a mouthful of rice and chicken, and Kougaiji flushed.

“It's a simple dish.”

“It's a simple dish done well,” Hakkai said, and Kougaiji seemed more flustered at that.

“Thank you.”

“It is good,” Shinobu mumbled from Hakkai's side. “Not s'good as Daddy's, though.”

“Shinobu.” Hakkai shot him a distressed look, but Kougaiji chuckled and shook his head.

“I'm not offended. I appreciate your honesty.”

“You're just more used to your Daddy's.” Jien grinned at Shinobu from his place, and Shinobu shrank, just a little.

“Hey, hey, I told you!” Hanabi leaned over the table and poked him, though Gojyo hitched her by the back of her jumper and tugged her back to her seat with a scold. “Uncle Jien and Kou aren't scary! Don't be scared of 'em! If you're scared of Uncle Kou, he won't give you dessert 'cause he'll think you'll be too scared to eat it!”

Shinobu's eyes went wide, and he hurriedly began to scoop at the food on his plate. Hakkai leaned down to warn him, “Don't do that, we'll all get it at the same time,” as Gojyo chuckled across the table.

“Oh yeah, Kou, you should'a heard her when I told her you and Jien invited us all over, first thing out of this one's mouth--” Gojyo put his finger down in the center of her part like a needle on an old record player, “'Can we have a tea party? Is Uncle Kou gonna make cookies? Daddy, tell Uncle Kou to make cookies!'”

“Ah, she did mention tea parties.” Hakkai smiled, as Kougaiji laughed into a cupped palm again and Hanabi batted Gojyo off with obvious embarrassment and stage-whispered 'stoppit, Daddy!'s.

“When we were Hanabi's primary babysitters, I'd host tea parties quite frequently.” He pointedly cleared his throat and put on an elegant voice and formal speech. “The Royal Prince Kougaiji is a gracious host, is he not, Princess Hanabi?”

“Oh!” Hanabi stopped swatting at Gojyo, sat up straight, and spoke in a high-pitched imitation of a regal voice, pretending to be posh. “Yes, the very best!” She hurriedly pointed across to the opposite corner. “And Princess Lirin is a champion at Hanafuda for our elegant afternoon card games!”

“I win every kind of game.” Lirin tossed her hair back before shoving another mouthful of rice and chicken in.

“Oh, Daddy.” Shinobu tugged Hakkai's sleeve. “Daddy, the game with the cars is fun. Can we have the game with the cars?”

“Oh, except that,” Lirin said, wagging her chopsticks. “Shinobu-chan is great at Mario Kart!:”

“We'll see about the game. I hear such things are wonderful for hand-eye coordination.” Hakkai smiled at Shinobu, then looked over at Hanabi. “Do you take tea with Prince Kougaiji and Princess Lirin often?”

“Mhm!” Hanabi swallowed hard before speaking out loud, all but bouncing out of her seat to pipe up. “It used to be all the time, but now there's school so I don't get to come as much.”

Kougaiji nodded. “We were her primary babysitters before Hanabi was old enough for preschool. We have seen less of her since then, but I do enjoy to entertain.” He ducked his shoulders, pinking again. “I even had an oven installed especially for making my mother's chess shortbread cookies.”

“It's real neat how he does it, too.” Jien smirked, looking as proud as if Kougaiji's cookies were his. “He actually makes the dough, divides it in half and puts the chocolate or food coloring or whatever in half, then makes it into and chills it before shaping them into the little squares and cutting 'em off in slices, and he can make the colored squares in lots of flavors.”

“That sounds delightful! Ah, if only our kitchen had a proper oven.” Hakkai nudged Shinobu's shoulder. “Do you think you'd like to take tea with a Prince?”

Shinobu tilted his head in thought. “I dunno, I've never met a Prince.” Then, he turned and examined Kougaiji down the end of his nose. “He's a grown-up, though, so why is he just a Prince?”

Before Hakkai could explain about the notion of coronation, happy to indulge the fantasy, but Hanabi piped up first: “It's 'cause a Prince has to get married to be a King! Kings always have a Queen, right?” She quickly looked to Jien. “I mean, I guess a Prince can marry another Prince, and they can both be Kings, right?” She wagged her eyebrow at Jien, and Gojyo groaned and slid a hand down his face.

“Hana, we talked about this...”

Jien was still smiling, but it was twisted with discomfort now. “Yeah, uh, sorry sweetie, it's just a little more complicated than that.” From Kougaiji's similar expression of discontent, Hakkai had a feeling this was a bit of a sore spot, and one that none of them could do anything about. Really, it was a pain that he could only imagine he and Gojyo might feel themselves someday. He cleared his throat.

“Precisely. A Prince needs to be crowned King in order to be King, you see. Besides, being King is much harder than being a Prince, you know. Kings don't have nearly as much time for tea parties.”

Hanabi gasped and whipped around to Gojyo, who nodded. “It's true, short stack. Kings gotta go rule and stuff. Plus, don't Japan have a President?”

Hanabi shook her head. “No, that's the United Americas! Japan has the Prime Minister and he has to go on a Diet! You should know that, Daddy!”

“Yeah!” Lirin waved her hand around. “We learned all about it in school!”

“So did we.” Shinobu rubbed his head. “But I think there's a sho... shogun? He's the Emperor, and he's not in charge, it's the Prime Minister. And it's the Diet who picks the Prime Minister, after the grown-ups pick the Diet, not the other way around. Kings are just those old guys in books, right?”

“No, shut up! There's still Kings!” Hanabi whined, wiggling on her knees. “And it's just pretend, anyway!” Gojyo whipped around on Hanabi.

“Hana, that ain't how we talk.”

“Well, it's how I talk!”

Lirin and Kougaiji both laughed as Gojyo went on scolding Hanabi. Jien, however, mouthed a 'thank you' to Hakkai, and he quickly nodded back. He knew how awkward those difficult questions could be, though he couldn't imagine how one might resolve those questions when they so desperately wanted a better answer themselves.

It struck him then that he'd already found himself in their pace, empathizing with Jien and Kougaiji, fitting in as easily as if they all had smooth edges. He felt like he and Shinobu were as welcome here as if they'd always belonged.

The meal was peaceful and pleasant, and after everyone had their fill, Jien got up to collect the plates and Kougaiji told Lirin, “Why don't you show the children some of your other games while I get dessert ready?”

Gojyo practically jumped up. “Ooh, do you have the new Street Fighter?”

“Nah, Kou said I can't 'cause it's got hitting, but I have Pokken!” She clapped her hands. “Hey, hey, who wants to see the Pokemon fight?”

“Hell yeah!” Gojyo pumped his fist and beckoned Hanabi and Shinobu. “Check this out, guys, they're gonna use the old Pokemon Daddy knows from when I played it on Jien's GBA!”

“Ooh, I don't even know that one, it's super old!” Hanabi tugged Shinobu's sleeve, as he scratched his head.

“Wait, how are the cards gonna fight?”

“Hakkai,” Kougaiji said as he returned from the kitchen, “We can take care of this, if you'd prefer to supervise the children.”

“Is there some way I can help, perhaps? I can't stand lounging about while others are working.” Hakkai grinned sheepishly, and Kougaiji returned a reluctant smile.

“You are a guest in our home, but I suppose if you wouldn't mind helping to dry the dishes, things will go faster.” Kougaiji gathered the last plates and carried them to the sink. Just as Hakkai went to follow Kougaiji, Gojyo caught him by the shoulder.

"Hey, relax. You're a guest, okay?"

"Ah, I hardly feel like a guest." Hakkai felt his face take heat, pleased but a little embarrassed. "I'll be as quick as I can, then come and see the games you're showing the children, alright? Your brother and his partner have been wonderful hosts, this is the least I can do."

Gojyo eyed him, smirking languidly but with curiosity in his raised brow, then patted his hip. "Whatever makes you happy. I'll keep an eye on Shinobu."

"Thank you." Hakkai leaned in to touch his lips to Gojyo's cheek, and Gojyo's smile seemed to spark a little brighter as he turned and strolled after the children down to Lirin's basement. Hakkai then turned and joined Jien and Kougaiji in the kitchen, where Kougaiji was slicing a cake and Jien was washing dishes, leaving a stack for Hakkai to dry. He found the dishtowel and took a spot next to Jien, but halted before taking up the first plate. "If I may." Both looked to him, and he bowed. "Thank you both very much for inviting my son and I into your home."

Jien and Kougaiji looked to each other, trading knowing smiles, and Jien shook his head. "It's no trouble. We're happy to have you. Though, it's funny, we were just wondering how you ended up here."

"You're very different from Gojyo," Kougaiji elaborated.

"Not at all. Despite not knowing each other for nearly as long as the two of you have each other, I feel as though we are two sides of the same coin." Hakkai's heart throbbed and hummed in his chest as he though of Gojyo, smiling and serene when he wanted to be, wild and carefree the rest of the time. "He's captivated me. I can only hope the feelings I harbor for him last as long for the two of us as they clearly have for you."

"That's all I ever needed to hear." Jien returned to washing the dishes with a contented smile. "Here you are, trying as hard as you can to impress us, but seriously, all you ever needed to do was love my brother, and you got that down pat."

"We had, of course, hoped to like you for reasons more than making Gojyo happy, and I think I speak for both of us when I say, you've succeeded there, as well." Kougaiji set the cake knife in the sink, passing Hakkai another kind smile as he crossed behind him to count out dessert forks. Hakkai chuckled his embarrassment as he set another dry plate in the rack.

"I suppose it's reassuring that you were determined to like me and found that you did anyway. But really, you have treated Shinobu and me like family since the first time we spoke." He kept his eyes on the rim of the plate as he ran the towel around it, catching his own reflection turning somber in the porcelain. "My own family was always rather strict, and even now we are not on speaking terms due to certain disagreements." It felt ludicrous, but he felt safe to admit it. "I never truly felt like a son to my own parents, more akin to a prize animal bred and deliberately reared to reach a certain standard, and when I failed to live up to that, I was discarded. I walked though your door, and who or what I was simply didn't matter."

Jien's big hand landed on his back. "Hey." Hakkai glanced up at him, as he shook his head. "It doesn't. No judgment here, never about anything. And you are family, you and your sweet little boy." He grinned. "Welcome to the clan." Behind Hakkai, Kougaiji was smiling in his now-familiar subdued way, but with a light in his eyes that Hakkai could feel in his heart.

He liked these people as much as he loved Gojyo. Here he had hoped to leave a good impression on them, only to find they were stamped into him instead.

Kougaiji's cake, a vanilla chiffon topped with chocolate whipped cream, was light and not too sweet, and Shinobu devoured it eagerly. Hakkai even slyly put some of his portion onto Shinobu's plate just so he could enjoy a little more. Hanabi and Lirin cheerfully talked over most of the end of the meal about the fighting monsters from their game, with joking contributions from Gojyo and laughter from Jien and Kougaiji. Best of all, when the cake plates were empty, Jien looked between Hanabi and Shinobu and announced, "I need two helpers to make the table clean. Do I have two helpers?" Hanabi jumped up first, then tugged Shinobu's sleeve from across the table. He hardly needed her prompting to get up, and when Shinobu stood next to Jien to take instructions, Jien smiling and pretending he was deliberating hard about who would take the plates and who would take the forks, Shinobu didn't shrink from him. He even looked happy when Jien put a big hand on his back and thanked him. It was like home, in the way Hakkai had only seen in children's books he'd always been considered too intelligent to read.

Jien drove them home, with Gojyo carrying a worn-out Hanabi on his lap and Shinobu lolling onto Hakkai's shoulder in the back seat. "They're not scary," Shinobu mumbled into Hakkai's shirt. "I like 'em. Jien laughs so big, and Kougaiji is soft and nice. They're nice."

"I told you, didn't I?" Hakkai stroked his hair and spoke kitten-soft, the way Gojyo would to Hanabi when they had their little heart-to-hearts. "Just because he's big and new doesn't mean they're bad. New things are surprises, and they can be wonderful."

By the time Jien stopped in front of Hakkai's house, Shinobu and Hanabi were soundly asleep, but Jien waited for Hakkai to get a hand free from carrying for a farewell handshake. "It's been a pleasure to meet ya, Hakkai-san. I hope this guy--" He indicated Gojyo with a light punch to his shoulder -- "Brings you around again soon."

"I look forward to it myself," Hakkai whispered past Shinobu's head. Jien grinned, the same wide, bright crooked smile as Gojyo.

"And hey, if you two ever need a date night or date day or whatever, me an' Kou keep pretty predictable hours and we're home weekends. Just give us a call, we'd love to watch the tykes. Lirin, too, she's missed her best playmate since Hanabi got into school."

"We'll call ya, bro." Gojyo punched Jien's shoulder back with absolutely no malice, just brotherly love. "Thanks for having us."

"Please, I've had you since you were in diapers." Jien snickered, but winked at Hakkai. "Thanks for adding to the family."

Hakkai and Gojyo waited, Gojyo holding both Hanabi and Shinobu now, as Jien drove off, and as his taillights vanished down the block, Hakkai touched his fingers to Gojyo's side. "They're wonderful."

"Heh, you only say that 'cause you just met 'em. But they're good." He gave Hakkai a significant look. "They got it complicated, kinda like we do, but that hasn't stopped 'em from being good for me, and for Hana."

“I can't possibly disagree. I've read that a large family is good for a child.” Hakkai turned and opened his front door. “So, I've yet one more thing to thank you for. Won't you come in so we can put the children to bed and I can thank you properly?” He winked in the lamplight, truly at ease.

Gojyo followed Hakkai in, too happy that dinner had gone well, that Hakkai had gotten the good impression he needed, and that he'd expanded his world a little further into Hakkai's. After all, he planned on staying there a good, long time, and this would hopefully be just the first of family get-togethers they would enjoy.


	2. Aunties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise call leads to a few meetings, a few surprises, and some changes Gojyo's going to have to deal with.

**Family Circle**

**2: Aunties**

It was a typical night spent together, the kind that were becoming more common, with Gojyo sitting between the children as they worked on their math homework and lining up shogi tiles to count them, and Hakkai was at his computer, but with the folding screen left open nowadays so he could contribute little tips from over his shoulder and offer the children refreshments when he was between tasks. Gojyo liked these relaxing, normal homework nights as much as movie nights, or nights when they brought in sushi or made cup noodles and played board games. This had become a habit so familiar that Gojyo had replaced his expectations of a quiet night doing Hanabi's homework with her with this, sitting in the middle with stereo homework and Hakkai's soft-spoken contributions and the hum of his computer a rolling bass that soothed the soul.

Then, the night was interrupted by the chime of Hakkai's phone ringing, and Shinobu jumped and spun around, wide-eyed.

"Don't answer it, Daddy!"

Gojyo had noticed this: Hakkai's phone ringing was always bad news for Shinobu, or he always acted like it. Gojyo couldn't blame the kid; when it wasn't Hakkai's work calling him in, it was a reminder for a doctor appointment or a dentist visit, or just someone who wanted Hakkai's attention and took it from Shinobu. Gojyo could empathize, for sure, but at the same time, he knew Hakkai couldn't do much about needing to answer his phone. Shinobu came first, but to Hakkai, putting Shinobu first meant he needed to keep his job and his other commitments that kept them healthy and stable.

"He won't be long, kiddo." Gojyo put a hand on his arm. "Plus, ya got me still." That point clearly gave Shinobu little comfort, as he stuck his lower lip out when Hakkai answered the phone. "Who knows, maybe it's good news this time?"

"Kanan!" Hakkai half-shouted with excitement, rising from his computer chair, and Shinobu gasped again, already shaking.

"No! No, Daddy, no!" He rushed for Hakkai, but Hakkai held a hand out. Despite Shinobu's panic, Hakkai was somehow smiling.

"No, no, we hadn't expected -- so soon, too. It feels like it's hardly been weeks since last we spoke." Hakkai held a hand up to Shinobu as he dropped to his knees and clawed at Hakkai's pant leg, whispering now:

"No, no, please, no..." Gojyo was gaping, and Hanabi raised an eyebrow, but continued with her homework.

"Teacher would give him a yellow," she said to Gojyo, almost sing-song, but Shinobu didn't seem to hear, still scraping and begging. Hakkai spoke on as if he didn't notice.

"I'm glad to hear it. Tomorrow afternoon will be fine." He smiled, even as he reclined into his chair and spun away from Shinobu. “Please let them know to expect us. In fact, I'll see if I can bring two more. There's someone else I want you to meet.” He was quiet, and the horrified look Shinobu was giving him only chilled Gojyo. Hakkai was still calm, even nodding. “Yes, of course. We can talk more tomorrow... It's a pleasure to hear from you. Have a nice evening.” Hakkai put his phone down and promptly spun around again, leaning over in his chair to where Shinobu sat crumpled at his feet. “Shinobu, we have had this conversation before.”

“No, you just talk!” Shinobu pounded his fist on the floor. “You don't listen! She's scary, Daddy, I don't wanna go!”

Hakkai pursed his lips, then sighed. “She's not scary, I promise you. She's just in a scary place, and she very much wants to see you.”

“I don't care!” Shinobu began to thrash, and Gojyo jumped to his feet as he kicked and screamed on the ground at Hakkai's feet. “I DON'T WANNA! DON'T WANNA! DON'T WANNA GO!”

Shinobu had never raised his voice before, let alone escalated his pouts into a full tantrum, but it was happening now. Gojyo moved to restrain Shinobu before he could hurt himself, just as Hakkai put his foot down and stood abruptly.

“Shinobu, this is unacceptable.” Shinobu didn't seem to hear him, panting and crying as Gojyo got him by the arms.

“Hey,” he said in a low voice that he hoped might calm both Shinobu and Hakkai. “Let's just breathe a second.” He glanced to Hanabi. “That's what we do, right, short stuff? When we get upset, we gotta cool off just a little before we talk about why we're upset.”

“Y-yeah.” Hanabi nodded shakily, and Gojyo saw her compose herself. Poor thing, she was probably just as shocked as Gojyo, but Gojyo kept his cool.

“Take a big breath, Shinobu. Screaming and raising your voice don't help anything.”

Hakkai seemed taken aback, and Gojyo could feel him refocusing on him, but he turned his restraint on Shinobu into a gentler hug as Shinobu caught his breath. “I... I don't wanna... and he knows... I don't wanna... 'cause she's scary...”

“Who is?”

Hakkai and Shinobu both answered, Hakkai sounding defeated, and Shinobu just as terrified as before: “Auntie Kanan.”

"My sister,” Hakkai added, and pointed to an old photo on the wall of himself standing next to a young girl. Gojyo had seen it before, and whenever Hakkai looked at it, there was a fondness in his expression that Gojyo never saw anywhere else. Even now, with Shinobu sniffling at his feet, he softened as he touched the photograph of the girl. “She's been feeling well the past few days, and has been given permission to have visitors," Hakkai added, still looking sideways at Shinobu with only a trace of a smile. "I had hoped to invite you and Hanabi, as well."

Gojyo felt a tug on his pant leg. "Don't do it," Shinobu whispered.

Gojyo got a sinking sensation in his gut. He had no idea what he was about to get into. Despite his obvious wistfulness for her, Hakkai rarely talked about Kanan, or even made mention of Shinobu's mother to him, and this was the first indication Gojyo had gotten that Shinobu had even met her. Still, just because he had no clue what he was accepting didn't mean he would turn Hakkai down. "I'd love to meet your sister. I mean, come on, you just went through the hassle of meeting my brother, right?" He put on his best toothy grin, and Shinobu groaned and scrubbed his face with his hands.

"No, no, no," he babbled into his little palms, shaking his head as tears welled up in his eyes. Hakkai sighed and knelt out of his chair to try to meet Shinobu's eyes, even peeling his hands from his face.

"Please understand, your auntie very much would like to see you. It's not her fault she's unwell and must live in a hospital." Shinobu tugged his hands back from Hakkai to wipe at his eyes and nose, inadvertently elbowing Gojyo as he did. Hakkai pressed his lips into a tight line for a moment, then rubbed Shinobu's head. "I'll need you to be brave for her tomorrow. For now, I think I'm going to ask you to take a five minute sit on your bed so you can calm down and think of five nice things you can tell Auntie happened since the last time you saw her." He eased back from Shinobu. "We will talk about this in five minutes when you are calm."

Shinobu actually gave Hakkai a dirty look, half-pout and half-scowl, then stormed off to his bedroom. Hakkai sighed again, then took an egg timer from his desk drawer and flipped it over. "Sorry about the commotion, and thank you for helping."

"Hey," Gojyo chuckled, motioning to Hanabi, "I've got a six-year-old, and that ain't much different from five. We still have our little fits."

"I don't do that, Daddy!" Hanabi squawked her protest and pounded her hands on the table. Gojyo just rolled his eyes.

"Honey, the convenience store has video surveillance footage from the last time they ran out of your favorite chicken katsu bento on chicken-katsu-bento Friday that can prove you wrong."

Hanabi crossed her arms. “They shouldn't have ruined chicken-katsu-bento Friday, then.” She stuck her lip out. “It's a very special day!”

Gojyo winked at Hakkai. “I only let her eat the fried chicken on Friday.”

“I can imagine not getting what one expects can be disappointing.” Hakkai's amused smile was wearied, and he took up the egg timer in his hand. “Will you come help me make a fresh pot of tea? Hanabi, will you be alright on your own for a minute?”

“Yeah, yeah, the add-em-ups are easy-peasy!” Hanabi continued to push her counters around and squint at the problems on her page, as Gojyo followed Hakkai into the kitchen. There, safe and alone, Hakkai finally exhaled completely.

“I'm sorry you had to see that. He so rarely...”

“I know. I've been around him long enough to see that what he just did ain't normal.” Gojyo propped himself on the counter as Hakkai busied himself with the kettle. “So, uh, Auntie...”

“The poor boy.” Hakkai shook his head, and Gojyo noticed him wringing his fingers. “He doesn't understand. She... she's only lucid enough for company sometimes, but she does dearly want to see him. I want them to at least know each other, even if it's just as relatives.” He went through the motions of setting out teacups, but his hands were shaky and unsteady. “Someday, I'll tell him the truth, when he's old enough to understand. Until then, I want them to interact on this level as much as we can.”

Gojyo grimaced. “He's terrified of her, though.”

Hakkai shook his head again. “It's... it's the hospital. Such places are so dark, claustrophobic, ominous, even, and when he was small the very hallways would make him shrink in fear. And...” Hakkai hesitated, pouring water into the cups with his hands still unsteady. “She... she can't always control herself. Especially when he was smaller, she'd have tics and twitch-” Hakkai made gestures, flicking his hands and shaking his head side to side with jerky motions – “He didn't understand, and he doesn't now. I try to explain, she's very sick, and she tries hard to be well, but it makes no difference to him. All he sees is a strange woman in a cell.”

“I get both sides of what's goin' on here.” Gojyo nodded. “You want him to know her, but he doesn't know why and the stuff he does know scares him, so he's got all the reason in the world to avoid it.”

“I try to understand his point of view,” Hakkai insisted – defensively, Gojyo thought – “But he doesn't understand mine.”

“'Cause he's five and doesn't have all the facts, babe.” Gojyo sidled close to him and slid a hand onto his hip. “Look, we're gonna do the best we can. You've gotten him through these visits before, I'll be there to back you up, Hanabi's gonna be her usual cheerful self, and we're gonna make your sister's goddamn day.”

Hakkai seemed to relax under Gojyo's touch, turning chest to chest with him. “It is helpful to hear that. And...” He eased a little closer and brought his fingers to Gojyo's chest, lowering his voice to a humble murmur, “I was grateful that you agreed to come so readily. She was my only friend when I was young, and I've dearly wanted her to meet you, and your willingness to do so is reassuring.” He bowed his forehead into Gojyo's shoulder. “I feel as if it shows your trust in me.”

“You know it.” Gojyo kissed his forehead, then noticed something. “Egg timer's empty.”

“Ah.” Hakkai glanced to the little hourglass. “It is. I'm going to retrieve Shinobu, and we can discuss the specifics later. I think I will invite one more to join us, but I will explain when you and I are alone again.” Gojyo stepped back and gave a little 'after-you' motion with his hands, letting Hakkai go to Shinobu's room and taking up the first two teacups. Hanabi had finished her math homework and gotten out one of her books, and when Gojyo sat down next to her, she immediately settled against his leg.

“We get to meet Mr. Hakkai's family now, huh?” She tipped her head back at him, smiling her big, bright smile. Gojyo smiled back, reflexively and in relief. He knew already that this would be half as hard as it might have been.

“We're goin' somewhere new and meetin' someone new. It'll be a new experience, and that's always fun, right?”

“I like new things, yeah!” Hanabi turned her smile into a toothy grin, then cuddled up a little tighter into his lap and turned her attention back to her book. Gojyo chuckled and wrapped an arm around her chest, then leaned over her shoulder.

“Just tell Daddy if you need help with any new words, alright?”

Shinobu rejoined them with Hakkai at his back a few minutes later, and the rest of the evening was quiet. What had passed and what was coming still hung in the air, though, but Gojyo wouldn't let it bother him. He'd faced everything else that had come at him without hesitation so far, and it hadn't caused him too much trouble.

He'd been a single dad for four years. He'd dealt with the stomach flu, chickenpox, separation anxiety, and days when there were no chicken katsu bentos. He could handle introducing his baby girl to one woman, and helping a boy who was starting to take up a similar-shaped space in his heart to face something that terrified him.

The question of Mommy was a tough one for him, too. He didn't like thinking about the woman who'd “raised him,” because hell if that was his mother, plus his own situation with Hanabi's mother, if nothing else, left a sour taste in his mouth. However, the difference here was that Kanan obviously wanted to be in Shinobu's life, but Shinobu was the one pushing back. All Gojyo could do was try to encourage things to go well for everyone involved.

After all, sick or not, Kanan was family, and despite himself, Gojyo liked to think that family was damn important.

* * *

It turned out, Gojyo was meeting two women. If he'd been younger and still single, he would have been a lot more excited. Instead, he stood back from the bus shelter to finish his cigarette as Hakkai greeted a dark-haired woman with a brief hug.

“It's lovely to see you again, Yaone- _senpai_.” Hakkai adjusted the tote bag he was carrying as he let go of Yaone, then turned around and gestured to Gojyo. Gojyo quickly snuffed his cigarette and approached. "I'd like to introduce you to my good friend Gojyo and his daughter, Hanabi."

Yaone, who looked close to Hakkai's age and kept her hair bound in a neat ponytail held in place with a comb with a few flyaway strands laid on the shoulders of her dress, bowed to Gojyo and held a hand out with a bubbly smile. "Oh, yes, Hakkai mentioned you in his texts! It's nice to meet you!"

Gojyo shook her hand, then lazily bowed back. "Pleasure's mine, Yaone- _san_. Hana, won't you say hello?" He glanced down to where she held Hakkai's hand - just a little tighter than usual. Weird.

"Hello – um, are you Mr. Hakkai's sister?" Gojyo caught her hesitation, but managed not to frown. Instead, he stood back and observed.

"No, uh-uh," Shinobu answered from Hakkai's other side. "This is Yaone- _nee-san_! She's not really his _nee-san_ like Mr. Jien is Mr. Gojyo's _nii-san_ , she's friends with Daddy."

“Oh!” Hanabi nodded, then curtsied a little. “It's nice to meet you!”

“Oh! Yes!” Yaone quickly curtsied back, obviously a touch flustered but just as obviously pleased. “Goodness, what a little princess!”

Gojyo grinned and shook his head. “Hey, don't you go giving her that too. Her Uncle Kougaiji feeds her the princess stuff, but if that head gets too big, we won't be able to fit a crown on her.”

“Oh, my!” Yaone giggled, as Hanabi huffed and glowered at Gojyo.

“Nu-uh, don't be mean, Daddy!” Hanabi stamped her feet, but Shinobu was giggling at her side.

“Hanabi's my friend,” he said to Yaone, “Like Daddy's your friend. We're in the same class, too!”

“Oh, that's great!” Yaone crouched down. “And how has school been?”

Hakkai caught Gojyo's eye as Yaone engaged with the children, speaking just for Gojyo's ears, “She was in some of my classes in college. She's a nurse who specializes in teaching children about health, so she works as a school nurse at a high school but travels to different schools in the district to give lessons on health and safety to elementary schools. When she saw how stressed I was in the first class we shared, I mentioned I had an infant son, and, er, Yaone-san said she loved babies...” He laughed nervously into his hand. “I was somewhat between homes at the time, and I ended up as her roommate while I was making my way through college. Yaone or one of her sisters watched Shinobu when I was busy, though Yaone is his very favorite sitter. She still sits him sometimes, but today...” Hakkai glanced sideways to where Yaone still knelt next to the children, and spoke a little softer, and a little closer into Gojyo's ear. “If... if he needs to leave during the visit, she can help calm him down.”

"Backup. Got it." Then, Gojyo nodded towards Hanabi, who was talking with Yaone but keeping her face low and her hands folded tight behind her back. "Funny, I don't see Hana get shy around someone too much. Not since day one of Pre-K, when she got shy about her teacher."

Hakkai hummed as he considered this. "Was her teacher a woman?"

"Yeah, she had Takamaki-sensei. She was a real nice lady, but Hanabi just shrank, kinda like she is now. I tell her, that's your teacher, like the teachers I told you about in stories, and she perked up right quick, but..." Gojyo trailed off, not sure what to say. Yaone seemed to be in her essence talking to the children, and entirely unbothered by Hanabi's nervousness. Even so, she was still a little nervous, Gojyo could see how tight her shoulders were, how tightly she laced her fingers. Hakkai hummed again, eyeing Gojyo.

"I have a slight suspicion as to the cause, but I'll continue to observe. She does seem to be alright." Hakkai exhaled sharply, fidgeting as he glanced down the road. "For now, so does Shinobu. Let's hope having Yaone-senpai around keeps him calm."

The bus arrived a few minutes later, and Hakkai pointed the stop out to Gojyo on the map. "It'll be about twenty minutes," he warned him, but Gojyo patted the side pocket of his carpenter's pants.

"I got coloring books and crayons." He opened his pocket and withdrew a small stack of hand-sized books. "Did you bring anything for him?"

"The regular kind of books." Hakkai took out a few slim picture books from his tote bag, then cast his gaze over the coloring books Gojyo fanned out in his palms and selected two. “However, I will trade you the book where the puppy finds a strawberry and the one about the boy lost in a mall for the coloring book with the astronauts.”

“Sweet, Hana'll love the one with the puppy.” Gojyo held the coloring book out and the two swapped, before settling into two adjacent rows, Hakkai and Yaone flanking Shinobu on a three-seat bench and Gojyo settling in next to Hanabi across from them. Yaone accepted the book Hakkai offered and settled down with Shinobu leaning onto her lap, and Gojyo held the coloring books out for Hanabi.

“Your choice, short stack.”

Hanabi pointed at the books Hakkai had given him. “The bus is too shaky to color!”

“Fair point, smart girl.” Gojyo opened the book about the puppy, and caught Hakkai's eye from across the bus to wink and mouth 'thank you.' Hakkai winked back, then returned his attention to Shinobu for the rest of the ride, and Gojyo followed suit with Hanabi.

Gojyo couldn't say he'd seen all of the city, and he certainly hadn't been to this hospital before. It looked like all the hospitals he had seen, though – tall, looming, foreboding. Hanabi hopped off the bus, took a good hard look at the building, and scrunched her nose and tugged Gojyo's hand.

“Why's Mr. Hakkai's sister gotta live somewhere like that?”

“It's a hospital, y'know, for when people get sick.” Gojyo knew he had to tell Hanabi the truth, but to make it a truth she could understand. “Hakkai's sister is sick, so she has to stay here where they can take good care of her.”

“She's sick?” Hanabi's eyebrows knit up. “Is it a tummy bug? Teacher says that when you got a tummy bug, it's contagious, so you gotta stay home so it doesn't crawl into anyone else!”

“Nah.” Gojyo led her along as Hakkai ushered Shinobu off the bus, hurrying a step faster as Shinobu tried to linger back so Hanabi wouldn't look and see him at it. “Uh, it's not contagious. What Miss Kanan has is more like a head bug.”

“A head bug?” Hanabi gasped and grabbed at her ears. “I don't wanna head bug!”

“No, no,” Hakkai cut in quickly. “Head bugs are very different from tummy bugs. They stay in your head, and it's very, very hard to get them out.”

“Exactly.” Gojyo nodded to Hakkai. “So, Miss Kanan's living here so the doctors and nurses can try and make the head bug come out or at least stop hurting her. If they can get the bug to come out, or at least make it promise not to hurt her ever again, she can come home.”

“She'll never come home,” Shinobu mumbled. “I hope she doesn't come home.”

“Shinobu,” Hakkai began to scold, voice hard, but Gojyo squeezed Hanabi's hand again.

“This is just a nice, safe place for her, okay?” He shook her hand in his. “She's here to get better, and seeing some smiling faces will help her feel better. Just remember, she's a little sick, so she might act funny 'cause she's sick, but she's okay here.”

“Okay.” Hanabi nodded resolutely. Gojyo could still hear Shinobu resisting and complaining, and Hakkai and Yaone trying to convince him to be on his best behavior.

Luckily, Hanabi was patient and calm through the security protocol, turning out her pockets and telling the security guard where she found each of the little pebbles she'd been stowing in her jumper as Gojyo quietly promised to keep her collection in his pockets instead. Shinobu held still while he was being looked over, but when Hakkai went to empty his tote bag of the granola bars and dried fruit he'd brought, he began to try and bury himself in Yaone's dress.

“Please, don't make me. She's evil, _nee-san_ , she's the worst!”

Hanabi glanced at Shinobu, brow knitting up again. “Um, Daddy--”

“She ain't, kid.” Gojyo shook his head and took her hand again to lead her from the dim entryway. The hospital lobby was a little brighter, a little more warmly decorated. Still not welcoming, but Gojyo hadn't expected more. Hanabi clung close to his leg as nurses and staffers passed them by, and he smoothed down her hair and patted her back. “See, people ain't really evil, not like bad guys on TV shows, and like I told ya, Miss Kanan's just a little sick in the head. She might say things or do things that are weird, but it's just the bug making her do it.”

“Oh.” Hanabi was still puzzling over this as Hakkai and Yaone came in, holding Shinobu by a hand on either side like they were wrestling a prisoner down the long final walk to the electric chair. Shinobu dragged his feet, he tugged back, but he was moved forward one way or another. Hakkai merely put on a cheerful facade and gestured to the back wall.

“We'll be in the West Wing, third floor. Shall we?”

Shinobu twisted in the elevator, as if he had anywhere to escape to. Gojyo did his best to stand tall, hoping his confidence might bolster Shinobu, but Shinobu's prior experience had probably already left him too wary of what was coming. He squirmed the entire walk down through the hall to the wing Hakkai had indicated, though Hakkai made a point of pulling Gojyo aside to point out one room.

“There's a waiting room there, if Hanabi should need a break.” He gave Shinobu an indicative look, and Gojyo got the notion that Shinobu had probably seen a lot of the inside of that room. Yaone was holding his hand now, even as Shinobu fruitlessly tried to drag her towards the door, mumbling something about how he wanted to stay in there.

“I'm sure,” Gojyo said aloud, “Me an' Hana will be just fine, but I think we're gonna be brave and stay with your sister a good, long while. I'm betting she gets lonely with nobody to visit, so she'll really like the company.” He tried not to look directly at Shinobu as he said it: “I know how much Hana hates to be lonely, so she'll be happy to help make Miss Kanan feel less lonesome.”

Shinobu held still at hearing this, sucking his lower lip in. Then, he let his shoulders fall and lowered his face. Hakkai seemed to notice, gaze glancing off of Shinobu, but he simply said, “Just in case, or if she would like a snack. We're not allowed to eat in the patient rooms, since the patients are on moderated diets.”

“Good to know.” Gojyo nodded and turned down the hall again. When Shinobu came, he was no longer pulling at Yaone and Hakkai's grips, but marching with his head hung low.

Gojyo hadn't known what to expect of Hakkai's sister. He'd seen an old photo on Hakkai's wall behind his computer, but it was of two children in formal kimono. She had looked like him, though her hair was long and bound up in a bun, thinner and fairer, and she was smiling while Hakkai hadn't been. If Hakkai had other photographs of her, he hadn't shown them to Gojyo. Gojyo found himself halting at the door Hakkai had indicated, waiting for Hakkai to open it.

“You go on ahead. She'll want to see your smiling face first.”

Gojyo didn't miss the brighter flash of Hakkai's smile at that, nor how he held his eagerness in check as he opened the door.

A woman with fair hair in a braid down her back, wearing a shapeless gown and loose pants, was seated in an armchair beside a window that looked out onto the city, a book open in her lap and her chin in her palm. She looked up when the door opened, and her expression lit with joy. “Hakkai! You're here!” She put the book aside, taking a moment to dogear the page, and jumped to her feet to rush towards him. Hakkai, laughing, caught her in embrace, patting her back. She giggled into his shoulder and nuzzled his neck, and Hakkai squeezed and lifted her off the ground. For a second, Gojyo got jealous, until Hakkai set her down and stepped back to gesture to Gojyo. “Gojyo, this is Kanan, my sister!”

“Oh, you brought guests!” Kanan clasped her hands together, then bowed low at the waist. “I'm Cho Kanan, it's a pleasure to meet you!”

Proper manners. _Keigo_ , just like Hakkai. The same face, the same mannerisms, twins to the last. Gojyo bowed back, because he hadn't been raised with manners but damn if he hadn't learned just a little over his life. “Sha Gojyo. I'm a good friend of your brother's.”

“It was very important to me that you meet him,” Hakkai told Kanan, soft but so excited, and suddenly Gojyo wasn't jealous, especially when he saw Kanan's knowing smile.

“Oh, Hakkai, really? That's wonderful!” She then got on tiptoes to try to look over Gojyo's shoulder. “And where is--”

Hanabi burst past Gojyo's legs just then with Shinobu in tow. “Me! Me! I wanna introduce next!” She shook Shinobu's arm like she was pumping water. “Hey, Sensei says when you're meeting someone someone else knows, like you don't know 'em, but they do, then they have to tell 'em your name 'cause it's polite! Shinobu, do the thing, do the thing!”

Shinobu looked between Hakkai and Kanan in a mouse-facing-cat panic, but Hakkai nodded and mouthed, 'Go ahead. It's polite.' Shinobu fidgeted, but nodded to Kanan.

“Um, Auntie, this's my friend Hanabi. She's, um, Mr. Gojyo's...” Shinobu trailed off, shrinking back, but Hanabi just bounded past him.

“Hi!” Hanabi bounced on her heels, then clicked them together and bowed. Kanan, laughing, bowed back.

“Hanabi, is it?” She eyed Gojyo for a moment, in a way that sent a chill down his spine. “Goodness, Hakkai, I really must catch up with you more frequently, I had no idea your circle had grown so wide!” She motioned to the room. “Won't you all sit for a bit? I can ask the nurses to bring us some water if you'd--” She broke off, smile drooping away to an expression of horror, and Gojyo _saw_ her pupils dilate, black blocking out the green. Hakkai took and squeezed her hand.

“Kanan? You were inviting us to sit.”

Shinobu whined suddenly, and shrank behind Hanabi. Hanabi cocked her head curiously, then asked, “Is the bug making your face hurt?”

That seemed to snap her out of it. “Bug? What do you--” She frowned, but at least she looked more natural. Hanabi bobbed her head.

“Daddy said you had a head bug.” She tapped her own forehead. “I thought maybe it hurt you and that's why you, um...” She bit her lip, then looked to Gojyo. “Daddy...”

“A head bug?” Kanan considered this, then giggled a little. “Oh, I see. I think that's a good way of putting it. Yes, please excuse me if the head bug interrupts us!” She flapped a hand as if waving off an annoying fly, then motioned to the tiny sitting area in her cell. “I'll ask for some tea.”

Yaone came in behind Shinobu and exchanged friendly greetings with Kanan as Kanan passed her to the door to flag down one of the nurses, and Gojyo and Hakkai made themselves comfortable in Kanan's little hospital room. There was only the one chair, but Hakkai moved a few things off of the side table and settled there, then motioned to the lone bed. “She won't mind if you sit there. Shinobu, Hanabi, why don't you sit on the bed too?” Yaone hopped up onto the windowsill, and Gojyo pulled Hanabi up onto his knee and patted the bed next to him, just as Kanan returned and sat in her chair again.

“Shinobu, won't you sit by me? I'd love for you to tell me all about how school is going.” She glanced to Hakkai. “First grade came on so quickly, one's head spins!”

“Um.” Shinobu sat next to Gojyo, placing Hakkai between him and Kanan, and staring at his feet even as Kanan leaned towards him.

“Are you and Hana-chan in the same class?”

“Uh-huh!” Hanabi answered, but Gojyo felt her bracing a little on his leg. “Me an' Shinobu sit near each other, and we read together and help each other!”

“How wonderful!” Kanan clapped her hands. “Shinobu, do you have a favorite subject? Do you like math, or reading?”

Shinobu trembled, and Gojyo felt him fidgeting against the mattress. “Um.” He wiggled where he sat, not looking at Kanan at all, and Gojyo sat back to give him a little space.

“Tell her, kiddo.” He motioned, and Shinobu bit his lip, then spoke, halting every few words as he struggled with his own nerves.

“I... I like reading... 'Cause... I'm good... Sensei says I can read chapter books if I pass the next reading test.” He kicked his feet against one another, grimacing at the floor. “It's... I like it...”

“That's wonderful to hear.” Kanan laced her fingers together, squeezing them. Her knuckles turned white, until her hands suddenly twitched and unlocked, and Shinobu stifled a nervous little whimper. Kanan spoke, her voice quavering faintly, “I love to read myself. One must experience as much as one can, even if it is just through books.” She held up the book she'd been reading. “This book, for instance, transports one to distant Arabia with a few lovely words and a little imagination.”

“Oh, Shinobu's not good at 'magination.” Hanabi waved a hand. “He's bad when we have to do play-pretends, 'cause he says, 'that's not real,' 'that doesn't matter,' and if it's not real, it doesn't matter!”

“Shut up! Don't tell her that!” Shinobu swatted at Hanabi over Gojyo's leg, and in an instant Gojyo snatched his hand.

“Big boys don't hit girls.”

“Big boys,” Hakkai followed up without hesitation, brow stern and every trace of a smile gone, “Do not hit anyone. You're a big boy, aren't you, Shinobu?”

Shinobu, chastened, shrank back, though Gojyo hadn't let go of his wrist. Kanan cleared her throat. “Do mature young men know what to do when they've done something wrong?” Shinobu scowled right at Kanan, and said something even Gojyo couldn't hear. Kanan's expression shifted. “Shinobu?”

“It means they get punished! Like when crazy ladies hurt people and pretend to see things! They get locked in crazy hospitals forever!” With that, he jerked his arm from Gojyo's grip, jumped from the bed, and bolted. Yaone gasped and took off after him, nearly knocking into the nurse coming in with a pitcher. Hakkai, wide-eyed, covered his mouth with his palm, then slowly rose.

“I... I'm sorry, Kanan, but--”

“Please go after h-him.” Kanan's voice was low and shaky, her gaze fixed to the ground. Gojyo grimaced as Hakkai crossed past him, but turned to Hanabi.

“You okay, sweetie?”

“Uh huh.” She nodded, then pushed her chin into his side. “It only hurt my heart a little. Poor Shinobu...”

“Yes,” Kanan agreed cautiously, folding her hands over her knees and biting her lip as Gojyo gave Hanabi a cuddle and kissed the part of her hair. “He... he's a sweet thing, Hakkai tells me. When he's comfortable in his surroundings, or not afraid.” She shook her head; her hands trembled. “If only I could go to such places or be there at those times.”

There was a soft knock at the door. Yaone was waiting in the opening. “Sorry about the commotion. Shinobu's taking a little cool-off, but he'd like to apologize to Hanabi-chan before he comes back.”

Gojyo nodded to the door. “Go on, Hana. I'll keep Miss Kanan company 'til you come back.” Hanabi hopped off the bed and shuffled towards Yaone, glancing back with doubt plain in her face, but she walked alongside Yaone to be led out. Kanan giggled softly behind him, and Gojyo turned around to face her again.

“What an intuitive thing. She's bright; I imagine she learned such optimism and creativity from you.” Kanan still sounded like she was shaking on the inside, but her smile was soft. “I liked your analogy for my illness, too. I know Hakkai is much more direct with Shinobu, which I fear may be part of the problem.” She clenched her fingers where they were folded on her knee. “He told Shinobu, once Shinobu was old enough to comprehend even the basic concept that I could not leave this place, that I was ill and here to heal, and I could not leave until I was well. He's a smart boy, curious, and asked why I couldn't heal at home, and Hakkai admitted that I might harm someone if I were to leave before I was truly well.”

Gojyo raised an eyebrow; this was news to him. Kanan gasped a little. “Oh, he didn't tell you? I suppose he'd hoped I might make a better impression if you didn't know. I, er, I'm not here voluntarily, though given the choice, I likely would remain committed.”

"He didn't tell me, no, but I guess the strict security stuff makes sense now." Gojyo shrugged a little, then glanced at her hands again. Still shaking. He could faintly see scars around her wrists now, too, probably from restraints pulled too tight. Kanan sighed.

"The silly boy. He's a few minutes younger than me, so I'd always joke that he was my baby brother, but honestly, he can be so immature about some things, so... blind..." She laughed, though Gojyo wasn't sure why, then trailed off, her face falling. "He should have explained everything before you decided to bring your daughter with you."

"Maybe he wanted me to meet you before I made any decisions about you. That, or he wanted you to tell me what you think I oughta know." He leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm and summoning his most charming smile. "So, Miss Kanan, what is it I oughta know?"

Kanan's face shuddered a bit, but she kept smiling. "Hakkai told you Shinobu was my son, correct?"

Gojyo was sure his lack of reaction told Kanan everything she needed to know, but he nodded anyway, then shifted his weight to sit a little closer to her. "He did, but Hakkai says he hasn't told Shinobu, and I ain't gonna tell Hanabi."

"That's our intention. We'd rather him not know." Kanan nodded, then let her chin fall to her chest to watch her own hands, fingers squeezing in erratic bursts. "I don't recall his conception. I was told later that an orderly took advantage, though he insists I consented - invited it, even. I must have been particularly deluded, but then, I have no memory of it." She bit her lip. "Shinobu did nothing wrong in this. I was lucid for most of my pregnancy, and while I perhaps should have terminated, I would have felt guilty. Hakkai and I discussed it, among all the other options, but Hakkai wanted to raise him. I wonder if he felt somehow responsible..."

Gojyo frowned. "For, uh, what happened?"

"Indirectly." Kanan paused, then dared bat her eyes up to Gojyo for a brief glance. "Hanabi-chan's mother, where is she?"

"Gone.” Gojyo lifted both hands in a huge shrug. “Left us, never to be seen again. Good riddance, if I'm being honest."

"I see. Do you tell Hanabi about her?"

"Not much to tell.” Gojyo didn't bother pretending to be embarrassed about it, either. “I didn't know her all that well when Hanabi came around, and I only got the worst of her after she was born. Now she's incommunicado, changed all her contact info, and it's been damn near five years." Gojyo cocked his head as he thought. "Guess it'd be nice if I could tell her stuff, but you know what they say: if you don't got anything nice to say..."

"Say nothing." Kanan sighed. "Hakkai holds to that, too." She sank into her chair, elbows planted on the arms, then bowed her forehead against her hand, curling up like a tragic statuette. “We decided that it would be best if he was being raised by a parent rather than a relative, so Hakkai agreed to be his father. What would a child think, if his mother had abandoned him to an uncle?”

Gojyo's heart panged in his chest. “That ain't what happened, I mean, you can't help bein' in here, you said so yourself.”

“Yes, but how would he perceive it? Especially for a child, perception is reality, and they're so creative. They can always find some way to see the absolute worst of any situation.” She smiled wryly, shaking her head against her knuckles. “This one is no exception, of course, but perhaps it's the lesser of two evils. Even the few things Hakkai has told him – combined with the symptoms of my illness – has made him hate me.”

Gojyo slouched, because he was starting to feel Kanan's sadness as if it were his own. “Hey, no, you're sick. Shinobu's smart, he gets that, I know it.”

“And he's seen just how sick I am.” Kanan bit her lip, daring to look at Gojyo again before averting her gaze in shame. The wind blew against the locked window, the shadows from outside shifting over Kanan's tightly-drawn legs and her hair where it fell over her face. Her hands twitched where they gripped the arms of the chair. “I... I was thirteen. I began to have hallucinations around when I began to become a woman, and I couldn't go outside some days because I was so frightened of what I might see.” She rubbed her palm over her eyes. “Monsters, demons chasing me or following me in my shadows. Insects and centipedes crawling in my hair and mouth. Most of the time, I only saw them, but when I could hear or feel them...” She shivered, breaking off. Gojyo could almost see it through her eyes as she quaked even at the memories, and damn if he could blame her. He'd lived with a real monster, he couldn't even fathom living believing that _she_ was chasing him around.

“My parents,” Kanan continued after a moment, “Tried to discipline my disorder out of me, and when that failed, they tried to medicate it out of me.” She laughed humorlessly. “I tried everything to make it go away, coming up with nonsensical rituals that I thought might magically protect me, like eating only white foods for days on end, or putting all my clothes on in a certain order.” Gojyo grimaced as she sank a little lower, knuckles white as she squeezed the arms of the chair. “I couldn't function because I was so frightened. As my symptoms worsened, they would lock me in my room for days on end, because I would panic and scream and cry, and the only thing that would calm me were heavy sedatives, but even that just made me weak and unable to fight back. Hakkai was the only one who really stood by me, even when I was at my worst. He remembered the sister who had been his companion as he squirmed through uncomfortable social situations and lonely days at the estate, still saw that girl under the wreck I was.” Kanan shifted uncomfortably. “That's the saddest part. He still loved me when he shouldn't have.”

“It was the year Hakkai started college. I was having an episode. I don't know what I was seeing, but I always saw Hakkai clearly, so I knew he was there..” She bit her lip hard, bracing in her seat as if cringing from her own memory, as if whatever had threatened her then still loomed over her now. “He was trying to restrain me, to embrace me, to calm me down... and I panicked and lashed out.” She scrubbed her hands down her face, faint red lines left down her forehead and cheeks as she scraped her fingernails down. “I gouged his right eye with my fingers. His vision had never been good, but he can't see out of his right eye anymore.”

Gojyo was dumbstruck. He'd had no idea, not that Hakkai was partially blind, not that she could be that violent. Knowing Hakkai still loved her as much as he clearly did told Gojyo something about Hakkai, but he wasn't sure if it was that Hakkai's love was loyal and deep, or crazy enough that he should be the one locked in a cell. Kanan, meanwhile, shook her bowed head.

“My parents used this incident to prosecute me, have me convicted of assault, and committed until proven well enough to be in public again. I've finally received a proper diagnosis, at least, but the proper treatment is elusive.” She threaded her fingers up into her bangs again. “I have days, sometimes a few weeks of clarity, but then something shifts, and I sink back into the murk of hallucinations. I can't control it, either. I have breakthroughs, sometimes even when I'm at my best, and I start to see things. Then, panic takes over, and it all escalates so quickly...” She fidgeted, hesitating, stalling as if she could change her truth if given enough time. Gojyo waited, watching her, as her very shadow seemed to darken, but she sank a little deeper into her chair, chin in her chest. “Shinobu was already wary of me when Hakkai told him I was sick, but then I had an episode while he was here. I don't recall it, but Hakkai told me that when he tried to restrain me again, I screamed something to the effect of, 'I'll take your other eye.'”

Gojyo's stomach dropped into his intestines and twisted up there. “How old was he?”

“Very nearly four.” Kanan shivered. “Why would he want a mother like me, when he has a father who loves him dearly, who he loves so much in return? The only thing I remember of that incident was him hitting my leg and screaming at me to leave his Daddy alone.”

“Oh, fuck.” Gojyo hadn't even meant to let that slip, and covered his mouth as if he could take it back, but Kanan hadn't flinched. “So, uh, did Hakkai...”

“He told Shinobu that I'd hurt him before, but that it was because I was sick, that I couldn't help it. I'd seen him as something terrifying, so I had to protect myself.” She laughed again, high-pitched, her throat tight, enough to draw Gojyo's nerves taut. “It's true. I can't help it, and I 'pretend' to see things that simply aren't true. That's why I'm here, just as Shinobu said. Isn't a child's honesty so refreshing?”

“Refreshing...” Gojyo repeated, running everything through his head. “I guess that's one way to see it, but you know he don't understand.”

“He doesn't, no, but he understands enough. I think he's right to be frightened.” She dug her hands into her hair, then smoothed it back, drawing her legs in under her again. “I wish I could be his mother, but I will have to be content with seeing what little of him I can, that he allows. I know there is little chance I will ever be well enough to be part of his life.” She glanced at Gojyo, then held his gaze. “After all, even at my most lucid, I am forcing myself to ignore that both you and your daughter have appeared to be on fire since you entered the room.”

Gojyo tried not to look shocked, but knew he was failing as his mouth got tight and he blinked a few times in surprise. He looked at himself, holding his hands up, but he couldn't see it. “Guess you did kind of, uh, startle a little after we came in. Uh, are you hearing and feeling it too?”

Kanan cocked her head in curiosity, looking up and at Gojyo directly for the first time since she'd started to explain. “Am I... N-no, just visual hallucinations.”

“Okay.” Gojyo sat forward just a little. “Would it help if I proved I wasn't on fire?” He held a hand out. “You can touch me. I'm told my hands are naturally warm, but not that warm.”

Kanan stared at him as if worms had come out of his mouth instead of words – and hell, for all Gojyo knew, that's what she was seeing – but she tilted her head and inched forward in her chair. “It's... it's not your hands... may I... may I touch your hair?” She extended her hand, thin fingers extending towards the long strands that hung on either side of his face, then flinched back. Gojyo's heart jolted, but he pushed that instinct back.

“Yeah, you know what? You can. Just remember, it's attached.” Gojyo leaned forward, bowing his head. He didn't want to think about where these nerves were coming from, because he knew all too well and knew it was stupid, but he squeezed his eyes shut anyway. His insides were shaking a little as he heard Kanan's chair creak, the crisp hiss of her hospital gown sliding against the vinyl cushion.

Gojyo wondered what Hanabi thought of her mother for a second. Then, he thought about his own and braced against the bed.

Kanan's fingers threaded into his hair, as gentle as Hakkai ever was with it, and Gojyo felt like he could breathe again. “It's soft,” she whispered, then stroked her fingers through. “It's warm and bright, but it's not on fire.”

“Yeah, see?” He lifted his face to grin at her. “The only one who should be worried about how hot I am is your baby brother.”

Kanan laughed aloud, alight with joy, until there was a cough from the door, and Gojyo turned and Kanan leaned around to see Hakkai waiting at the door, an arm crossed over his chest and a smile touching his lips. “I see you two are getting on well.”

“Yes.” Kanan rose and approached Hakkai, folding her arms. “I thought it appropriate to inform him of some details about my situation that you left out.” She gave him a hard look, then shifted her hands to her hips and cocked forward. “You went through all the trouble of bringing this man here, and don't even do him the courtesy of a fair warning?”

“Kanan, I--”

“He brought his little girl here! You know how I can be!” She loomed over him, and Hakkai shrank. Gojyo nearly laughed, because Hakkai cowed by _anyone_ was unfathomable, and yet here they stood.

“ _Onee-chan_ , please. I trusted you. He did, too.” Hakkai put his hand on top of hers. “And you're clearly doing just fine.”

“Ooh, you have no idea!” She shivered in place, though she was still smiling. “You're lucky he's this easygoing!” She let a little laugh slip. “You need that in your life.” Hakkai relaxed a little as Kanan rested her hand on his shoulder. “He's different. I like it for you. Use that 'head bug' line, I liked that quite a lot too.”

“Kanan...” Hakkai tilted his face as she rubbed his cheek. “I'm glad you like him.”

“I do. I'm glad.” Kanan stepped back. “So, er, Shinobu...”

“Ah, Yaone's calmed him down, and he's apologized to Hanabi. Most sincerely,” he added, catching Gojyo's eye. “Yaone's reading a book to the pair of them. Shinobu has promised to behave when he returns, and he and Hanabi came up with five things they would like to tell Kanan together. Why don't you go and bring them in?”

“You got it.” Gojyo hopped up to his feet, and Hakkai and Kanan moved aside to let him down the hall. Hakkai caught his eye and mouthed a 'thank you' as he passed. Gojyo winked in reply.

Yaone was seated between both of the kids, with Shinobu halfway onto her lap and Hanabi sitting with a few inches between, knees drawn to her chest and arms wrapped around her legs. There was that weird distance thing again. Gojyo sat down beside her, and she instantly poured herself onto him.

"There you are!"

"Here I am." He caught her in his arms and kissed her on the forehead. Yaone paused in reading and smiled fondly as Gojyo sat her down on his knee. "You havin' fun with Yaone _-nee-san_?"

"Um, uh-huh." Hanabi glanced to Yaone, and though she smiled, there was just enough hesitation in it. "She's nice."

"Hanabi was well-behaved while you were gone," Yaone volunteered, closing up the storybook. "Of course, her exuberance has been a boon to you, hasn't it?" She giggled, as Shinobu raised an eyebrow. "You must be really grateful for her."

"Every day." Gojyo patted her back.

Shinobu tugged Yaone's sleeve. "What's 'xuberance?"

Yaone held his gaze and answered with subtle patience. "I'm talking about how energetic and outgoing she is. It's a fancy word that I think describes her."

"Oh." He cocked his head. "Do you got a fancy word for the way I am?"

"You're..." Yaone giggled and pinched his cheeks, making him giggle back. "My mellow fellow, because most of the time, you're so calm and steady." Shinobu basked in her kind attention, until she gave his cheek a light little tap. "You just have to remember those manners when things you don't like happen."

"Mmm." Shinobu pulled a face, but nodded. "I said I'd try."

"You did." Yaone set him on the ground. "Why don't we go try to visit with Auntie for a little bit? You and Hanabi together can tell her all about your school."

Shinobu mumbled an 'okay,' and let Yaone hold his hand and lead him out. Just as Gojyo was about to follow with Hanabi, she grabbed and squeezed his arm.

"Daddy?" She was watching after Yaone and Shinobu with that funny look in her eye, that curious little darkness in her eyes that told Gojyo she was about to ask him one of the big questions. She didn't disappoint. "Is that what Mommies are like?"

The trick with those big questions was that the answers were never easy. Sometimes, Gojyo just didn't have them. "I dunno, sweetie." He thought about Kanan, then about Jien's mom, and then all the things he'd wanted Hanabi to have that he couldn't give her. "Sometimes, maybe, sometimes not. But hey, the way I see it, there ain't much a Mommy can do that a Daddy can't, right?"

"Yeah." With that, Hanabi jumped off his lap, then jogged after Shinobu. "Shinobu, wait up!"

Gojyo got up and followed. "Don't go running around in here, short stuff! You don't wanna scare nobody!"

Kanan was seated again talking to Hakkai when they returned, but she rose when Shinobu stumbled in with Yaone at his heels, Gojyo and Hanabi right behind. She bowed to Shinobu. “I apologize if you feel I insulted you.” Her voice wobbled, but Shinobu looked sufficiently chastened that it didn't matter.

“Um, sorry I was mean.” He bowed back, and Hakkai motioned for Shinobu to come to him. Hakkai lifted him onto his knee.

“I don't think either of you meant any serious harm. Why don't we enjoy our visit?”

“Yeah,” Gojyo added as he herded Hanabi back to their spot sitting on the bed. Kanan's eyes widened a little as Hanabi hopped up and sat flush to Gojyo again, but Gojyo fluffed and ruffled Hanabi's hair as he settled in. “After all, you must get lonely, and we can only stay so long, so we ought'a make the most of it.”

Gojyo had noticed that Shinobu seemed to sober when he said Kanan was 'lonely.' If he'd been squirming at all, he'd stopped now, and Gojyo couldn't help but notice Kanan watching him hang his head. She quickly put on a smile.

“Oh, yes. Nice memories of good company does make the quiet hours go a little quicker.” Kanan nodded, then turned to Hanabi. “Did you say you and Shinobu were in the same class? What are you doing in school?”

“Um!” Shinobu raised a hand, and spoke haltingly, unsure but determined. “We... we're growing sprouts! Potatoes! In a plastic baggy!”

“Yeah, teacher put water and the potato eye in the window, and we check on 'em,” Hanabi added. “Sensei says we have to water 'em when they get dry, and if we take good care of them, we can grow potato flowers and maybe even potatoes!”

“I wanna see the flower, so I'm watering mine a lot.” Shinobu had mumbled it, but Kanan squealed with glee and clapped her hands together.

“That sounds wonderful! Did your father tell you he and I kept a little vegetable garden when we were younger?” That got Shinobu's attention, and he shook his head slowly. Kanan leaned towards him, looking, so Gojyo though, completely normal in her excitement. “Yes, we dug little rows and planted carrots, potatoes, and green peppers.”

“Ew!” Hanabi stuck her tongue out. “ I hate peppers! Why would you grow those?”

“Because the person at the store said they were easy to grow, remember, Hakkai?” Kanan poked his cheek, and he chuckled.

“Yes; we ended up giving the peppers to some elderly neighbors. We got our chef to put the carrots and potatoes into a soup.” Hakkai swung his legs a little, and Gojyo realized that if he had any less control, he'd be jumping with joy. “What would you two like to do with your potatoes if they grow?”

Hanabi shouted first, “Potato chips!”

Shinobu shook his head. “Meat-and-potato croquettes!”

“Oh, croquettes, it's been ages since we had croquettes!” Hakkai snapped his fingers with inspiration. “I'd love to make them again. Hanabi, have you ever had croquettes?”

“Yeah, ham-and-cheese from the store! Daddy, I want croquettes now too!” Hanabi bounced on Gojyo's lap, and he chuckled and steadied her with a hand on her waist.

“It sounds like Mr. Hakkai would love to turn your 'tater into some. Make it grow big, because Daddy's gonna want a lot.”

“Perhaps you could bring me some, too.” Kanan sighed wistfully. “The food here can be so very bland. You're both so lucky to have Hakkai to cook for you.”

“Yeah, he's the best! Miss Kanan, do you cook too?” Hanabi leaned towards her with interest, but Gojyo noticed Shinobu listening too, his focus attuned to her. Maybe he had just needed the right inspiration and encouragement.

The rest of the visit was uneventful, with Hanabi eagerly exchanging with Kanan, Shinobu listening and pitching in when he could, Hakkai and Yaone facilitating, and Gojyo watching Kanan carefully. Her voice didn't shake, her hands didn't twitch, and Shinobu actually smiled back at Kanan once. It was progress, maybe. It had made Gojyo think about things he'd had no reason to think about before, too. That was a kind of progress all its own.

Luckily, there was a long bus ride home for Gojyo to think about it. Hanabi fell asleep at his side, and Shinobu soon dozed off in Yaone's lap in the window seat. Hakkai sat on the aisle seat, and once both children were settled, he reached across the aisle and tapped Gojyo's hand.

“Kanan said you were sweet to her. Thank you for that. She's nervous around new people, too.” Hakkai traced little shapes on the back of Gojyo's hand. “And thank you for being so willing to meet her. I'm sorry I didn't tell you all of the details.”

Gojyo realized he was looking at Hakkai's right eye, and now that he was paying attention, the pupil was a little too wide, maybe even unfocused. Even so, he shrugged loosely. “Hey, you didn't want me to have a bad impression before I even met her. Anyway, she is what she is and I think she's just fine.”

“That's good. I was worried... Er, perhaps that you would come away with the same ideas Shinobu did.” Hakkai's gaze tipped over to where Shinobu slept soundly. All tuckered out, Gojyo thought with a little smirk, and slid his arm around Hanabi's back where she drowsed next to him. “He performed admirably. Perhaps he's maturing.”

“I think he just needed the right way of going about it. When situations get complicated, you gotta take things careful.”

“Complicated.” Hakkai nodded, chin dipping. The light seemed to vanish from his eyes as he sunk into thought. “I've worried about Shinobu, with some of his antisocial behaviors. Schizophrenia is hereditary, after all. It was one of the things that most made Kanan doubt her decision to keep him; the likelihood of him developing the same disorder is much higher than average, and she didn't want a child to suffer the way she has.”

Gojyo realized he was looking past Hakkai to Shinobu, and something twisted in his heart. The pain apparent in Kanan when she'd been explaining her disease to him was deep, like a stab wound that wasn't healing. Gojyo had been hurt deep more than once, though that felt like a scratch compared to what she'd gone through, and he'd been doing everything in his power to protect Hanabi from even that. He wouldn't have blamed Kanan for not going through with having a baby, and yet here Shinobu was.

“It's actually been reassuring to see how he interacts with Hanabi.” Hakkai smiled faintly. “They've gotten close quick. She brings out his spirit in a good way.”

“Yeah?” Gojyo glanced to Shinobu again, and Hakkai faced him again, face soft and relaxed, at ease. “Well, she is a good girl. People pleaser. Makes friends with everyone, and she likes him.”

Hakkai hummed, and Gojyo saw his focus travel down to where Hanabi drowsed against his ribcage. “Everyone, you say. I wanted to mention; she seems to be shy around adult women.”

“Oh?” Gojyo twisted around to look down at her, frowning. “'Cause of Miss Yaone?” Yaone glanced over at the sound of her name, as Hakkai nodded.

“Not just her. She was alright around Kanan, but she knew who Kanan was through me, and the first thing she asked Yaone- _senpai_ was if she was my sister.” Hakkai pursed his lips, and Gojyo could see him observing Hanabi. “You said she was shy around her female teacher until you told her it was her teacher – to paraphrase you – and I watched her today. She shied away from every female nurse in the hospital.”

“Huh.” Now that Gojyo thought about it at all, it made sense. “She doesn't have a lot of women in her life, I guess.”

“Perhaps a little more exposure would be healthy. Besides, I think everyone could benefit from a little of her sunshine. She was good for Kanan.” Hakkai twisted in the seat to face Gojyo, bracing himself on the bench as the bus swayed and Gojyo held Hanabi just a little tighter. “I'll be visiting Kanan when she is well, but would you mind if I brought Hanabi and Shinobu with me on occasion, even at times when you're working?”

Gojyo nodded and rubbed Hanabi's shoulder. “I trust you with her, easy.”

“And perhaps, sometimes, you'll let Yaone watch both of them?” He twisted around to Yaone. “You wouldn't mind, would you?”

“I wouldn't, no, not if Gojyo- _san_ doesn't.” Yaone beamed through her half-whisper, and Gojyo chuckled.

“If Hakkai trusts you, I'll trust you.” He gave Hanabi a little cuddle, and she yawned and hugged a little tighter to him.

“Daddy...”

Precious girl, Gojyo thought, smiling fondly as he thought. He had a lot to think about, for sure, and not just for Shinobu and Hakkai. His family was getting bigger, but the bigger things got, the more complicated they got. Like Shinobu's tantrums, like Hanabi's anxiety around women, like Gojyo having to wonder what the future held for all of them. Still, that just meant that Gojyo would have to work harder on finding the answers to those questions so he could lead Hanabi through, nice and careful.

Family was worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nee-chan and nee-san is short for onee-chan and onee-san, or "older sister" with variants on the suffix based on the speaker's relationship with the woman being addressed. More formally, it would be "onee-san," such as the polite Shinobu addressing Yaone. Hakkai and Kanan's relationship is close to the point where he would use the diminutive "nee-chan."
> 
> "Senpai" means "upperclassman," and if Yaone was a sophomore when Hakkai was a freshman, she would be his senior and he would address her as such.
> 
> Kanan's specific diagnosis is schizophrenia. I hope nobody finds this stereotypical. I like to think that no matter what her struggle in any universe, Kanan and Gojyo would be good friends.


	3. The Family Circle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goku is ready for his first day as a student teacher! However, he has no idea what's in store for him when he meets his students, especially when the teacher gives him a warning to watch out for one, and the parents are coming to class for a visit...

**3: The Family Circle**

Day one of his student teaching internship! He'd be jumping for joy if he didn't worry about ripping the secondhand slacks Uncle had hemmed up for him. “And I've got a first grade classroom!” Goku beamed with glee as he read over his assignment again, his messy hair blowing wild in the summer breeze as he skipped past the gates into the elementary school. The new semester was just beginning, too, and he'd heard today would be a parents' day and everything! Not only did he get to work with little kids (his absolute favorite thing ever outside of beef bowls and pork buns), but he'd get to make a good impression on all the parents today, and how cool was that?!

It was time to put himself out there and put all the studying he'd done on teaching theory to use! He was ready!

He skipped past the principal's office and down the hall to the first grade classroom. He'd been here just last week to meet Hanamura-sensei, the first grade teacher, and they'd gotten along like anzu paste and mochi dough. He was expecting her to be fixing up the classroom, and burst through the door in his classroom shoes, throwing his hands out like a stage actor. “Hanamura-san, I'm here!”

Hanamura-sensei had been a chubby, stout housewife with flyaway black hair that hung around her head in a pyramid shape. The thin, tall-ish yellow-haired man holding a piece of chalk pressed to the board absolutely was not Hanamura-sensei, and from the way he raised his statuesque brow at Goku, this man was sizing him up the same way Goku was sizing him up. The man finished writing – “three” and “elephant,” for some reason – and faced Goku.

“I am not Hanamura-san. You must be Son-kun.” He sniffed, nostrils flaring, upper lip curling, and for whatever reason, something curled a little in Goku, too. “Hmph. Slipped my mind that you were coming.” He crossed his arms, right as Goku extended a hand and opened his mouth, and spoke before Goku could: “I will have to ask you to restrain your excitement, as there will be plenty of that today as it is. You may call me Sanzo-sensei, as that is what I will ask the students to call me.”

“Oh. Okay.” Goku nodded, and let his hand fall back to his side and rest on his hip. “Um, well, I guess you know I'm Son Goku, and I'll be the student teacher here from here on. Um, where's Hanamura-sensei?”

Sanzo 'hmph'ed again and turned his attention back to the board, writing again. “Miss Hanamura had something unexpected happen. She's not certain when she'll be returning. I'll be the substitute here until further notice. She did leave a note for you sending her regrets within her lesson plan.” Goku winced as Sanzo scraped the chalk a little harder on the next line, but scribbled on, intently focused on whatever he was writing. “The principal suggested you be reassigned, but I've had student teachers work under me before, so as long as you take direction well, we'll be fine.”

“I'll do whatever you say, Sanzo-sensei!” Goku saluted, then bounded forward, dropping his satchel behind the desk and landing at Sanzo's side. “Where do we begin?”

Sanzo finished writing and faced Goku again, studying him down the elegant line of his nose. Goku felt almost like he was being pierced through. He felt his chest squeeze a little, and swallowed hard. He hadn't been nervous until this exact second. Suddenly, Sanzo thrust out a hand.

“I believe you were about to shake my hand.”

“Oh!” Goku quickly grabbed Sanzo's hand and shook it, then bowed. “It's nice to meet you!”

“I hope you're right about that.” Sanzo withdrew, then faced the board. “I used the right kanji, correct?”

Goku turned and saw that Sanzo had written his name in kanji next to the katakana, and Goku's name was written under his, both in katakana and kanji as well. Or, well, pretty close. “Can I fix it?”

Sanzo passed him the chalk and eraser, and Goku erased his given name and wrote the kanji his uncles had used. “They said it was special this way,” he murmured. “Uncle said Go... and ku... are like this.” Sanzo didn't say anything, but Goku saw him raise his eyebrow again. He was going to have to learn to tolerate his chest squeezing every time Sanzo moved his face because that was what was happening here, and he was pretty sure that if Sanzo ever broke through that stern expression with an actual smile, he might die a little. He hadn't thought his first challenge would be 'the teacher is super hot and I can't get caught finding other guys super hot until I get tenure,' but here he was.

Still, he'd been ready for any challenge, and he finished writing with a flourish and beamed at Sanzo. “These guys are just starting to learn how kanji works, right? You think there'll be room for a lesson about different ways to write our names?”

“There might be.” Sanzo's nod was sharp but subtle, but he picked up the lesson planner and turned it so Goku could see. “Not today. Today, we're going to have some 'getting-to-know-you' games for our benefit – originally just because you were new in here, but we're going to adapt – then a math lesson on subtraction, and then, for the parents coming in this afternoon, a writing lesson focusing on family words.” Sanzo paused, eyes narrowing a moment. “That reminds me. I've been asked to talk to you about one of our students in particular.” Sanzo approached one of the cubbies and rapped his fist on the shelf. “This student, Sha Hanabi. Observe her carefully.”

It was Goku's turn to raise an eyebrow, and he crossed a little closer. The student had drawn a smiling face next to her name on the label, likely of herself, with bright red hair in pigtails. “Is she a trouble student?”

“Of a sort. The principal warned me specifically about her--” Before Sanzo could finish, the first bell rang, and he instead broke off with a weary sigh. “We'll continue this conversation later. For now, just be mindful of her. You may introduce yourself as you help the students put up their lunch boxes and outside shoes.”

There was a rumbling from outside like the approach of a barbarian army, and Goku found himself grinning with excitement again. No matter the circumstances, he was here in a first grade classroom, and here came the children! “This is gonna be awesome!” He squeaked to himself as he bolted for the door, bouncing on his heels as he got ready for the chaos, and Sanzo made a noise that almost sounded like a laugh.

“You're certainly optimistic.”

Goku was, too, and he opened his arms as the first few children reached the door. “Hi, everyone! Come on in, we got a big day of learning to do!”

They all chattered over each other, “Who's the teacher?” “Where's Sensei?” “I bet Sensei died and now her son's taking over!” “Mister, my shoelace is stuck!” Goku just laughed as he got down to help the children take their shoes off and put the classroom slippers on.

“Don't worry about Hanamura-sensei, we'll tell everyone at the same time! Let's all get ready for circle time and sharing time!”

“Mister!” A perky, chirpy little voice sounded in his ear, and Goku found a little girl with red hair in two little braided buns waiting for him on his left. “I'm Hanabi! It's nice to meet you, but, um, my knots are too tight 'cause Daddy ties 'em real good, could you please get 'em off?”

Goku studied her face quickly – pointy little chin, sharp nose, impossibly bright red hair, and that big smile even when she was talking. This was his 'problem student?' “Sure thing, Hanabi-chan, just wait your turn, okay?”

“Hana,” a more hesitant voice mumbled, and Goku noticed a brunet boy with round cheeks and round glasses waiting near her. “Who's he?”

Hanabi shrugged. “I dunno, but he's helping with shoes and he looks mostly like a grown-up, so he can help me! He'll tell us who he is, 'cause that's polite!”

The boy studied Goku from a distance, giving him wide berth as he went to put his bento in the cubby labeled “Cho Shinobu.” Goku made sure to remember his face with the mental note 'shy cutiepie' as Hanabi cleared her throat.

"If you please, Saru-sensei!" She held her foot out, beaming, and Goku couldn't help but snicker.

"Saru-sensei? What's that about?" He began to untie her shoe -- dang, it was on there good! -- as she hummed curiously.

"Well, you haven't introduced yourself, but I bet you're a sensei, and you kinda look like the monkey in the storybook with your big happy grin and all your crazy hair, so I'm gonna call you Mr. Monkey!"

"You can call me Son-Sensei, actually." Goku chuckled as he worked her right shoe off, but Hanabi shook her head.

"Too late, Mister Monkey!" She easily got her left shoe off with one good yank, jumped into her classroom slippers and skittered to her seat, already calling after Shinobu. Goku's mouth hung open with surprise for a second.

Mischievous, maybe, but she seemed awfully sweet. Goku didn't have time to dwell, though, because there were twenty-two other children in the classroom who he had to get to know, if not by faces and names yet, then at least by a few distinct traits!

By the time everyone was seated at their desks, there were already giggles around the room. Sanzo seemed unperturbed. "Boys and girls," he said, in an authoritative, booming tenor, and in an instant, the room went quiet. “Your teacher, Hanamura-sensei, has had to leave the classroom for an emergency and is not certain when she will return. She asked me to tell you all she will miss you while she is away. I am Sanzo-sensei.” He pointed to the board, character by character. “San... zo. You may spell it like this if you want to.” He pointed to the kanji. “This is how I like to spell it. Would everyone like to try?”

There was a chorus of 'yeah's and 'I can do it!'s from around the room, and Goku went to get lined paper and pencils to pass out, just as Sanzo spoke again in what was becoming a typical low tone. “You will see that I am not alone. Boys and girls, this is Son-sensei. He is going to be helping me and teaching some lessons. You are his very first class ever. Would you all welcome him to school?”

Every face in the room turned to Goku, beaming little faces answering in near-chorus, “Welcome to school!”

One little voice squeaked in, “It's nice to meet you!” Goku saw that it was Hanabi, already waving. He grinned and waved back at the class.

“It's nice to meet all of you!”

That was just what Goku had needed to hear, to say, to feel like the day had begun. He knew that being a teacher would be full of surprises, and he already loved it!

The day became a whirlwind, from fun and games where everyone had to share something about themselves with the new teachers to a math lesson on subtracting two-digit numbers, and Goku got absorbed. Whenever Sanzo prompted it, he was pitching in and giving examples, and when the children were working independently, he circled the room, crouching at each table to listen, observe, and help.

"Count it out," he advised one little boy who was struggling. "Why don't we get some tokens and count it out together, okay?"

The boy (Yukkun, most of the kids were saying, so it had to be Yu-something) mumbled a frustrated agreement, but as Goku crossed the room to grab a handful of plastic tokens, he heard one little girl whispering, "Hana-chan, your hair is really pretty today!"

"Thank you!" Goku saw Hanabi beaming and patting at her buns as she whispered back, "Daddy did a really good job!" Goku had to cock his head a little – her Daddy had done her hair like that?

"Tell your Daddy to show my Mommy how to do it!"

"Ladies," Sanzo intoned from where he stood behind another desk, gaze narrowing to a pinpoint focus on the snub-nosed girl who had been whispering to Hanabi, as Hanabi quickly rolled her eyes to the ceiling and tried (poorly) to look innocent. "We're talking about math right now, correct? Let's keep talking about math, or I will have to ask you to move your behavior cards."

Both girls clammed up, though Goku noticed the shy boy (Shinobu, he was going to remember one way or another!) tugging on Hanabi's collar and whispering something to her under his breath. Goku only caught, "your Daddy will get so mad if you get in trouble over hair," and had to stifle a chuckle as he settled back in to help the student he'd been focusing on.

He got too curious. When the children were lining up for a bathroom break, Goku surreptitiously peeked at the contact information for Sha Hanabi in Sanzo's roll book. There was a father listed, but no mother. Not even a name. Goku bit his lip as he wondered what that meant for Hanabi's mother, but it was definitely not his place to ask.

Hanabi seemed happy, and she didn't seem to be acting out in an effort to get attention. She talked out of turn and she was excitable, but she was also only six. She seemed fine, so why had Goku been warned?

After the morning break and snack came the language lesson: family words, just like Sanzo had promised. Goku watched as Sanzo used different colors of chalk to draw out an extended family tree and write the katakana for each connection. Goku forced himself to stifle a giggle as Sanzo laid out the exact lineage and string of connections that would make someone a "fifth cousin three times removed" as all the children began to laugh at Sanzo rapidly going through "cousin married to his cousin born from this cousin," but he felt his mirth vanish when he noticed the two students who weren't giggling. Hanabi was staring at the tree on the board, head cocked and wide-eyed, and Shinobu was slouching a little with his face down. As Sanzo continued reviewing the list, Goku spotted Hanabi reaching over to nudge Shinobu's arm and whispering something, and Shinobu shaking his head. Goku inched to stand right behind them, but Sanzo broke from his explanation for a second:

"Thus making them your great-grandfather's -- Miss Sha, do not make me ask you to move your card -- cousin's daughter's husband's sister's daughter's husband's..."

Hanabi's face was tight through the rest of the lesson, and she wrote out the core family words Sanzo had wanted to teach them in crooked katakana. However, she fidgeted and shifted in her seat as Sanzo explained their after-lunch assignment: “We will be making family trees for our arts and crafts project after lunch, so we're going to be using all these words again soon.”  
  
Again, Hanabi looked crestfallen. This time, when Shinobu reached over and tapped her arm, it was with his brow all screwed up with worry. She shook her head and mouthed something about, 'get in trouble,' just as the bell rang. Sanzo clapped his hands. “Boys and girls, it's time for lunch and recess. Let's all line up to wash our hands.” Goku went to help corral the children, even as Hanabi, her spirits clearly muted by heavy thoughts, trudged in line behind the others, clearly sucking in her lower lip and dragging her feet.

Goku only got a few minutes to wolf his lunch down – Uncle's roasted fish was great even a few hours later! – before Sanzo had him bringing in extra chairs for the parent visit while drilling him with his plan for the afternoon. “It sounds easy, but because you and I are both visitors, we're going to need to ensure everything moves smoothly.” Sanzo turned back to Goku as he set the last chairs down, and Goku quickly unstacked them and lined them up. “I'll just need you to facilitate as each child presents and help keep them calm.”

“Can do!” Goku grinned and saluted. “They're a good group so far!”

“So far,” Sanzo sneered, crossing his arms. “But things can turn quickly.” The bell rang again, and Sanzo motioned. “I've got a few things to do in here. It's my understanding that the P.E. Teacher, Mr. Yakumo, escorts the children from the cafeteria to the playground. I want you to supervise during recess, I'll catch up shortly.”

“Sounds awesome – oh, Mr. Yakumo? That's great! One of my friends is student-teaching for him!”

Sanzo 'hmph'ed and gave Goku a serious look. “Focus on the children, don't chit-chat.”

“No, no; it'll just be good to have back-up!” Goku beamed, then pivoted around so he wouldn't have to strain under that _pretty, pretty_ glower anymore. “See ya out there!” He jogged for the playground, barely ignoring the 'don't run in the halls' chide Sanzo snarled after him.

It was a bright day, a little warm, and most of the children had shed their jackets near the fence. Goku scooped each of them up and hung them over the edge of the fence. There was a hailing “Oi!” from across the grounds, and Goku saw his freshman year roommate, Tokito, waving from the intersection of the sidewalk that divided the jungle gyms from the swingsets.

“Oi!” Goku waved back, then ran over with his hand out. “The Beautiful Tokito!”

“The Gorgeous Goku!” Tokito clapped his hand in something between a squeeze and a high-five, crushing Goku's hand, and Goku crushed his hand right back. Tokito had some funny old scars on his hand – some accident he couldn't remember – and he was a little awkward and forward like Goku, but Goku had his bumps and bruises too, so they got along like tea and cake. “I haven't seen you since before break, did you cut your hair?”

“A little. Uncle Ten-chan trimmed it 'cause I got gum in it, and I needed to look right!” Goku grinned and winked. “How's the Lovely Kubota?” Tokito pinked, but hushed Goku.

“Shh, shh, nobody here knows. But he's good! Same as ever, actually.” He laughed a little. Goku chuckled too; he'd gotten to know Tokito's boyfriend – as much as a guy like that could be known, he was kind of reserved – when they were living together. Goku had liked living with someone who had the same little secret as him, and he liked seeing how good of a couple they were. It gave him hope that maybe, just maybe, he could be part of a good couple someday too. Then again, all three of his Uncles were a hope spot too, but they were a different story. Tokito turned out towards the playground and pointed. “Mr. Yakumo is leading a soccer pass circle with the third-graders on the field, so I'm watching the girls who are playing ice cream shop in the jungle gym and the first-graders. You're with the first grade, right?”

“Yeah, they're great! I love the little ones!”

“Yeah, me too! But I like all of them!” Tokito bounced on his heels, as light as the wind that caught his dark hair. “I'll keep watching the girls close if you wanna get to know your students better. I have all the classes, so I gotta try to know everyone a little, but you should know your class a lot!”

“Definitely!” Goku cast his gaze over the playground to see some of the kids struggling on the swings. “Yeah, I'm gonna push some swings and try to remember all their names!”

“Ooh, go easy on 'em!” Tokito laughed, and Goku laughed too as he ran onto the playgrounds. He knew when to hold back, and when to push hard. As he got onto the sand, the little ones surrounded him, tugging at his pants and sleeves for his attention, until he got himself settled pushing all four swings in turn, running up and down the row and cheerfully chattering with the kids as he did.

Bliss!

After a few minutes, most of the children wandered away to play their own games, but Goku kept pushing the swings, encouraging the kids to take turns and answering all the questions they asked.

“How long're you gonna stay?” Sachiko asked, pumping her little legs as Goku pushed a little lighter (she was getting the hang of it, pointing her toes skyward with each swing, and Goku would try to remember her ballerina pink sneakers with the silver stars).

“The whole year, now! You're stuck with me until you go to second grade.”

“Why are you here?” Yukkun (Yusuke, Goku had learned, but everyone just said Yukkun) whined. He dragged his feet on the way down.

“Lift your legs, okay! Like you're gonna fly by your feet!” Goku gave him another good push. “And I'm here to be a teacher helper, and I'm going to learn to be a teacher from the teachers here!”

“Why?” Yukkun sniffed, still dragging his feet.

“Yeah, why?” A few of the girls digging a hole in the sand behind him chimed in (Nene with the hair clips and a lisp, Retsuko with a crooked hem and a missing tooth). Goku just chuckled.

“Well, I wanna be a teacher, so I can teach lots of kids! I might even get to teach you one of these days!” He beamed to himself, already wondering about what lesson plans he might get to take care of. He heard his host was going to give him a whole unit to teach! Don't spoil the surprise for the kids, though, he thought, but he couldn't keep a smile in. “I think I could teach you guys lots of stuff!”

“Yeah, maybe!” One of the girls (Yukiko, a habitual giggler with bangs) laughed into her hands.

Then, Goku heard a question that wasn't for him: “Hana, what's wrong?” Goku discreetly glanced over his shoulder to see Hanabi sitting on the edge of the sandbox with her chin in her hands and a frown screwing her little face up. Shinobu was standing over her, worry all over his face, and she shook her head.

“I'm gonna get in trouble 'cause I can't do the tree.” She grimaced. “I don't have great-aunts or third cousins five times removed! I don't even have a Mommy, and I don't know anything about that side!”

“Oh.” Shinobu scrunched his nose and sat down next to her. “Well, me neither. Aw, I don't want a red card...”

“It's not my fault!” She threw her hands out. “Daddy said Mommy decided it'd be better if she wasn't here and if he took care of me, and he never talks about her! So, like, I have a Mommy, but I don't know what she looks like or anything about her, or her parents or their parents or anything on that side of the tree!”

“So? Me neither!” Shinobu groaned. “I don't wanna get in trouble for only doin' half the tree...”

“Yeah, I guess since you don't have a Mommy either...”

“Daddy never says anything about her,” he mumbled, kicking the sand, and Goku felt his heart break a little. “Miss Yaone's kind of like a Mommy, but Daddy's not married to her and we only see her sometimes. Daddy never even talks about Grandpa or Gramma, either, 'cept when they call, he says he doesn't think it's a good idea to see 'em.”

“I don't even know if I have a Grandpa or Gramma.” Hanabi hunched over her folded arms. “I mean, I guess I gotta, 'cause I'm here, but Daddy doesn't talk about 'em. I wish Mr. Hakkai were in my tree. I like when your Daddy and my Daddy are together, that's what family feels like.”

“Yeah, your Daddy's kind of like Yaone-nee-san, 'cept he's always around with you and stuff, and Yaone-nee-san's only sometimes there. He's kinda like he's my Daddy too.” Then, something sparked on Shinobu's face. “Hey, I got an idea!” He leaned over and whispered something to her, and she gasped.

“Yeah, that's a great idea! But how--”

“Over here, we can draw it in the dirt for practice!” Shinobu, smiling for the first time all day, tugged Hanabi's sleeve, and the two of them ran off to a bare patch of dirt nearby. Goku couldn't break away from pushing the swings, but now he was way too curious for his own good.

When the whistle blew, Goku helped corral the little ones into cleaning up the balls and toys left around the playground, but joined Tokito again where he was standing next to a big, friendly-looking bear of a man in gym shorts. Tokito tugged Goku's arm as soon as he got close. "Mr. Yakumo, this is Goku, he's from my school too!"

"Oh, yeah, I remember seeing you at the teacher's meeting last week! Nice to meet ya, kid!" Mr. Yakumo extended a big hand, which Goku eagerly shook.

"Nice to meet you, too! Please take good care of Tokito!"

"I will, trust me." Yakumo chuckled, then ruffled Goku's hair as if he'd known him for years. Goku felt his ears take color, even as Yakumo added, "I'd be more worried about who's going to take care of you!"

"Why's that?" Goku straightened up as Yakumo lifted his hand, and Yakumo pulled a puzzling face, shifting his mouth as he chewed on his thoughts.

"Uh, how do I put this... Well, the long-term sub, Mr. Sanzo, he's untested. This is his first time at this school, and it's my understanding his training was for students with, uh, special needs. He's only worked with older children before -- but that's neither here nor there, eh?" Mr. Yakumo chuckled, but he still sounded uneasy. Goku cocked his head.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't worry about it, okay? He's doing alright so far, right?" Yakumo slapped Goku on the back, and Goku chuckled a little.

"Well, yeah! He's kinda stern, and real straight-faced, but he teaches the lesson well and I think the kids think he's funny." He glanced behind him to where Hanabi and Shinobu were scuffing out their dirt drawing with the soles of their shoes. "Hey, um, speaking of the kids, Mr. Sanzo warned me about that girl with the red hair. You know all the kids, right?"

"Hanabi? For sure! Heck, she makes me wish we had a pee-wee softball league for girls at this school, she'd be my all-star!" Yakumo scratched his head. "What'd he warn you for?"

"That's what I was wondering."

"Huh." Yakumo rubbed the scruffy bit of stubble on his chin, then noticed Shinobu. "Oh, wait, maybe it's that." He lowered his voice. "Uh, it's kind of an open secret, but Hanabi, and her little friend there, Shinobu? They're both being raised by single dads, but their dads are, uh, you know." Yakumo made some indicative motions with his hands, but Goku didn't get what he was going for.

"They're...?"

"Fucking," a dark voice that was absolutely not Yakumo's answered behind Goku, and Goku whirled around to see Sanzo there, faintly smelling of a cigarette and glowering at Goku. "Their fathers are supposedly in a romantic relationship. Some of the teachers gossip about it." He gave Yakumo a pointed stare. "Though we have been explicitly instructed not to."

Yakumo laughed nervously, and Goku actually saw the big guy take a step back from slight, unassuming Mr. Sanzo. "He should know, he is about to meet them. Kids like this, they're still kids, y'know? They might not know about that sort of thing." He patted Tokito's shoulder, and Tokito suppressed a chuckle into his palm as Goku rolled his eyes. Sanzo remained unamused.

"They're not really 'kids,' and the state of their fathers' affairs is irrelevant to him teaching the children. In fact, this entire conversation is irrelevant. Goku, line the children up by the fence and have them retrieve their jackets. Mr. Yakumo, I trust you have the older children well in hand." Sanzo pivoted on his heel and marched for the doors, and Goku quickly waved to Tokito before spinning back around and waving to the children, calling out their names to make sure he could remember:

"Yukkun! Asahi! Shinobu! Chihiro! Hanabi! Everybody, come line up with your jackets!"

After getting them all back in, getting everybody back into classroom shoes, and settling all of them down again, Sanzo laid down the law for their afternoon project: "You are all the fruits and flowers on your family tree. I would like you to show your families what your tree looks like from where you're sitting." He pointed to the katakana still on the board. “I want you all to use the family words you see here, and write one sentence about everyone on your family tree to tell us about them. Son-sensei, please hand out paper and markers.”

Sanzo and Goku passed out the papers with the basic tree Sanzo had copied, as Sanzo continued to explain that they could write about something they do with their family members, why someone was special to them, but most of the children were eagerly chattering about who they were going to draw first and what they wanted to say. However, Goku caught Hanabi and Shinobu whispering to each other fervently, pushing their papers close. He caught a little of it on his way through, just hearing Hanabi in a hush:

“You take that side, and I'll do this one.” She noticed Goku offering her markers, and beamed as she took them. “Thank you, Mr. Monkey!”

“Son-sensei, please.” Goku turned the paper so it faced her, but she giggled a little as he moved on.

“Sorry, Mr. Monkey, but I like that better.”

Goku didn't have time to babysit them, busy being pulled this way and that around the room as children asked what words to use or what order to put them in, but he saw the two of them working together quietly, shoulder to shoulder. Goku tried to listen in on their whispered conversation when he walked past, but he couldn't make out anything, and with the two of them hunched over their desks, he couldn't see their papers either. Just when he thought he was about to get a good look, the door opened, and the first few parents arrived, two moms, and one dad. Goku knew immediately who's father that had to be: the red hair, bright like fire, was unmistakable.

He bowed and introduced himself to both mothers, then took in the tall-red-haired man. He barely looked older than Goku, long and lanky and almost a little awkward in his gangliness, but he had really sharp, keen eyes and his smile was warm and pleasant, and he extended a hand. “Sha Gojyo. I'm with Sha Hanabi.”

“I'm Son Goku, or Son-sensei--”

“That's Saru-Sensei! Mister Monkey!” Hanabi insisted from her seat, and Gojyo laughed.

“Hana, Daddy can introduce himself to your teacher just fine!” Gojyo shook his head, and Goku just snorted as Gojyo returned his gaze to him. “She been callin' you that all day?”

“Honestly, I'm kinda getting used to it.”

“She's a sweet kid, promise. She teases when she likes someone. You ought'a see her with her cousin.” He gave Goku a good slap on the arm and winked. “I'll go check in on her.” He circled around Goku to stand over her desk, but she covered her paper with her whole body, whining that he couldn't look yet, 'it's not ready!' Goku managed not to laugh out loud, but had to turn his attention back to greeting all the other parents.

Goku tried to guess in advance which parent would belong to Shinobu, but when he did arrive, Goku didn't doubt his judgment for a second. He looked like an upsized version of his son, down to the round glasses and the unkempt hair, but with a brighter smile and much longer legs. He also had much crisper manners, bowing at the waist. “It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Cho Hakkai, Cho Shinobu's father.”

“I'm Son-sensei! I'm student-teaching your son!” Goku beamed and bowed back, the way Uncle Ten-chan and Uncle Konzen had taught him. “He's been good today!”

“I'm glad to hear it, though not surprised.” Hakkai chuckled softly, face bright and cheerful. “I wish you the best of luck.” He gave Goku's hand a gentle shake, then motioned past him. “May I ask what happened to Ms. Hanamura?”

“Oh, um, I heard it was a family thing.” Goku bit his lip, but Hakkai seemed nonchalant.

“I see. Unfortunate. I hope she and her family are well. Can I assume that the Western gentleman is the long-term substitute?”

Goku glanced over his shoulder, and realized Hakkai had been studying Sanzo over his shoulder. “Oh, um, I dunno if he's from the West, but he is the teacher, yeah!”

“Ah!” Hakkai seemed to brighten further. “If you'll excuse me, I'd like to introduce myself to him, but I do sincerely hope we get along, Son-sensei.”

“Absolutely, Mr. Cho!” He stepped aside to let Hakkai pass him, smiling knowingly as he compared father to son in his mind. Quiet, reserved, observant Shinobu, super polite, super perceptive Dad. Then, he saw the private smile Hakkai shot across the room to Gojyo, and Gojyo's grin in return.

That was a Kenren-to-Tenpou grin, or a Tenpou-to-Konzen smile. Maybe even a Konzen-to-Tenpou smile, as rare as they were. They were just so happy to see each other, to be near each other, but in front of others, couldn't do anything but trade private glances and winks and nods. Goku felt his heart flutter for them, but felt it break a little at the same time. It had to drain the soul a little to love someone like that and not to be able to show it without fear of shame. At least, he thought, as Hakkai finished introducing himself to Sanzo and went to join the children, their kids didn't seem to mind. In fact, they seemed much more concerned with making sure their dads didn't see their papers.

Sanzo called time on the students' assignments after a little while, clearing his throat from the front of the room to say, "Will everyone find a chair? It's sharing time." Goku had to try hard not to giggle at someone as serious as Sanzo saying "sharing time" with a straight face, but he took the chair closest to the blackboard to listen in as he took a slow look around the room, inhaled, and spoke with a quaver Goku barely heard on the first syllable. "I'm glad so many of you were able to make it. It's unlucky that Ms. Hanamura was called away, but very lucky that I was able to meet you all. I'm very much looking forward to teaching your students, and seeing what they have to teach me."

"He's so young!" Goku heard one of the mothers whisper to another.

"And serious, but so handsome!" Another mother whispered back, maybe a little too loud. Sanzo cleared his throat again.

"I would also like to point out that we have a student teacher visiting from Asakura University, Son-Sensei. He will be learning from our students too." Goku waved when Sanzo indicated him. A few parents, including Hakkai, waved back. Sanzo cleared his throat again, and Goku began to get the idea he wasn't a fan of having this many adults in his classroom. "Today, we had a lesson on family vocabulary words, and I've asked our students to draw family trees, showing their families and using these new words we've learned to write. I was pleased to see how hard the students tried, and how eager all of you were to help them put the finishing touches on." He carefully looked from eye to eye, each parent and child. "I think that having a strong support is vital to every students' success. From teachers to parents to siblings and friends, we all contribute to our own bright futures. I look forward to seeing this future, but for now, I'd like our students to teach me -- and their friends -- about their families. I believe we'll begin at the front of the room and circle our way back. Retsuko-chan, bring your family tree to the front of the room."

Retsuko slid from her seat and trotted to the front of the room, paper in hand, and though Goku paid attention to her as she turned it around to show the rest of the class, he noticed Hanabi leaning over to whisper something to Shinobu. He also noticed Gojyo whispering something to Hakkai in the seat next to him, his sharp, fine eyes trained on his little girl.

Each parent listened as the children went up one by one and made their presentation. Goku knew that it was nothing earth-shaking in the grand scheme, but for little kids to be independently writing for themselves was a thrill for their parents, and Goku knew it was something new for the kids, too. This was big for them, and every single parent was overjoyed to see their children reading for themselves. Goku meant it when he clapped for them, every single time one of the children stood on pigeon toes with shaking knees and read what they'd written.

Then, Sanzo called, "Cho Shinobu-kun, please," and both Shinobu and Hanabi stood up. Sanzo fixed her with a harsh look. "Hanabi-chan, if you need to use the restroom, please raise your hand--"

"No, we're going together! We made the same tree!" Hanabi held up the paper, and Goku saw that it had been crookedly taped together. He heard Gojyo groan from across the room as he squeezed his forehead with his palm, something about 'good grief, she got into the art supplies again,' but before Sanzo could say a word, Shinobu and Hanabi came to the front of the room together, side by side, and turned their double page around for the whole class to see.

"Um, so," Shinobu started haltingly, sounding small and shy, but Hanabi tapped his elbow and flashed him a big grin, and he spoke up a little: "Me and Hana, neither of us have a mom, so half of our trees were gonna be blank. 'Cept, her dad's a lot like another dad to me, and my dad's like her dad, too, so we just made a tree together with both of our dads."

Across the room, Hakkai had both hands over his face to smother a helpless smile, and Gojyo had slumped into a half-embarrassed, half-proud smirk in his chair. Hanabi, meanwhile, pointed at herself on the tree. "This is me at the top of my side of the tree, and I came from my Dad! Daddy is my favorite person in the world, because he makes me laugh and makes me happy!"

"My Daddy is here," Shinobu went on, running his finger to a sketchy little crayon drawing of himself to Hakkai. "My Daddy takes care of me and teaches me lots of important things. Mr. Gojyo is here, though!" Shinobu pointed to a diagonal line he'd drawn between himself and Gojyo, outside of the lines drawn on the template. "And he's nice and talks gentle when I get upset about stuff, so he's really good."

"Mr. Hakkai is here for me!" Hanabi had drawn a line between herself and Hakkai as well. "He always listens when I talk, and he likes to tell me stuff I'm curious about, or stuff I didn't know I was curious about!" Then, Hanabi pointed to her side of the tree. "The rest of my family's not really big, but I have two uncles and one aunt on my side!" First she pointed to a scribble of a man with short, dark hair. "Uncle Jien is my Daddy's brother! He's big and fun to play with!"

"He's really big," Shinobu added, wide-eyed. "But, um, Hana told me he's so big 'cause the rest of him has to be big enough for his smile. And he's got a really big smile." He grinned a little, then looked at Hanabi. "We're takin' turns, right?"

"Uh-huh!"

Goku realized the two of them had planned this out. He also realized he had no idea which one between them was the real ringleader. Glancing around the room, however, he could see that his little point of confusion was nothing compared to most of the children -- and even some of the parents.

"Um," Shinobu started again, glancing quickly at the back of the paper where they'd written their sentences. "Uncle Jien has a best friend who Hanabi calls Uncle Kou. Uncle Kou is really good in the kitchen, but he's kinda shy, I think."

"He's like a prince, I think. Daddy says he's got airs and raisin' cause he was brought up rich, but he throws good tea parties." Hanabi giggled, then pointed to the next picture in the line. "Auntie Lirin is only a little older than me, but she's Kou's baby sister! She plays video games with me and shares her soda and candy!"

"She's super loud, but she's fun, and she's really good at Mario Kart." Shinobu nodded, then pointed to his side of the tree. “I have Aunties too, but no Uncles.” He hummed a little as he moved to the first picture, and Goku spotted Hakkai leaning forward and inhaling a little. “This is my Auntie Kanan, my Daddy's sister. She's sick, so we visit her in the hospital. She can be a little scary...” Shinobu hemmed another minute, but managed a little smile. “'Cept, when she starts talking, she tells funny stories about when she and Daddy were kids. That's nice.”

“I met her in the hospital too! She's a nice lady!” Hanabi grinned. “I wanna see her again.” Then, she reached across the page to point at a different picture. “Oh, and Shinobu has an auntie who's not, like, an actual auntie, but she's his Daddy's friend, so it's close enough!”

At this point, Yukkun interrupted, “So is that your Mommy?”

“No!” Shinobu shook his head very hard. “She's not married to my Daddy, and I wasn't born from her. She's my Daddy's friend from when he went to school, and I was already alive when they met. Um, the sentence I wrote about her is that she takes care of me when my Daddy is busy and she's really nice.”

“But you don't have a Mommy,” Emiko said, and Sanzo stood from his seat.

“Boys and girls.” He shot a fierce look across the room, ripping off the silk glove of his usual stoic expression to reveal a steel glove and stormy eyes. “You were not interrupted during your presentations. Please do not interrupt them.”

The room went dead silent, and even Goku felt a tiny chill. What Mr. Yakumo had said about Sanzo came back to him, and Goku had to wonder just what kind of students Sanzo had been handling before. Sanzo turned his attention back to the two at the front of the room, returning to a milder mien. “Did you want to share anything about your grandparents?”

“Um.” Both of them looked at each other, and Hanabi shrugged.

“Daddy said his Mommy is 'Merican, but I've never met her, and his Daddy had a heart attack and isn't alive anymore. And I dunno anything about my Mommy's mommy or daddy.” Hakkai gave Gojyo a curious look, even as Shinobu added:

“Daddy said his parents are alive and all, but we don't see them. So, I don't know about them.”

“I see.” Sanzo nodded, and motioned for them to sit. “Thank you for sharing your family with us.”

“No!” Nene interrupted with a yelp from the second row. “They have to have Mommies!” The other children joined the outcry.

“Why do they get two Daddies?”

“They're not brother and sister, they don't have the same name!” Shinobu visibly shrunk as the protests got louder, and Goku spotted Hakkai and Gojyo whispering urgently to each other in the back, as Hanabi reached for Shinobu's hand. Sanzo slammed his palm on the desk and rocketed to a stand, but before he could snap again, Goku jumped up and loudly announced:

“I get it! It's a smoothie!”

This got everyone quiet, and Goku marched to the front of the room, smiling with ease even as his heart trembled where it beat. He had no idea he'd be giving his first lesson this early, but someone had to give this one. He spun around to face the class, standing behind Hanabi and Shinobu and putting his hands on their shoulders. He could feel both of them shaking. “Sanzo-sensei said you were all the fruits of your family trees, right? They've got a smoothie, because they mixed the fruit together!” The children – and the parents – were dumbstruck. “See,” Goku went on quickly, “Not all family trees look the same, right? Sometimes, there are more branches, and some people can find the bottom a lot faster. Sometimes, you don't know what all the branches look like. Sometimes, the branches come together and mix things up! This is what we call a _blended_ family, like you _blend_ fruit into a smoothie.”

There were a few 'oh's from the children all around the room. Goku grinned, and made space on the chalk board with a swipe of his arm. “When families come together into a new shape, it gets exciting! See, let me tell you mine real quick!” He drew a quick sketch of himself. “See, when I was little, I went to live with my Uncle, and he raised me. My mom and dad, um, they couldn't, so my Uncle did. His friends helped raise me, too, so I started calling them Uncle too!” He quickly drew his Uncles, serious Konzen with his ponytail, Kenren with his short hair and big grin, Tenpou with his thick glasses, and drew three lines down to him. “That's what my family looks like!” He turned back around, still feeling his knees quake, but smiled for the class. "It's still my family, even if it's different from other peoples' families. My Uncles were friends, and that's what connected them." He knelt down to Hanabi and Shinobu. "What connects your Dads?"

The two of them looked at one another for a moment, then answered in near unison: "They're really good friends."

"They like each other a lot!"

"That's a strong connection! That's really great! Isn't it nice that they like each other so much they chose to bring you all together?" Goku pointedly turned back to the classroom, the gaping children and the staring parents. "Sometimes, a family isn't just a tree that grows, it's something we make and choose. My Uncles chose to all raise me together, and drew a circle around us and called us 'family.' That's why you sometimes hear about a family 'circle!'" He clapped his hands together, enthused despite his nerves. "Can anyone else think of someone in their circle, someone their family chose to add in?"

There was a beat of silence, until Yukkun raised his hand. Sanzo nodded and motioned for him to stand, and he did, then mumbled, "Daddy and Mommy decided not to be married anymore, and then Daddy married Aiko-san. He and Aiko-san are going to have a baby, too, and Daddy says that'll be my half-brother."

"Okay, so your Daddy decided to draw Aiko-san into your circle! His family tree got bigger, and so did yours!" Goku wrote "step-mom" and "half brother" on the board, then motioned around the room. "Anyone else?"

Children quickly began volunteering about how their Grandmas were kind of like Moms who lived with them and watched them when Dad and Mom were busy, about family friends who were so close they were like family. Someone mentioned they knew someone who was adopted, "so his parents chose to make their circle bigger with him!" "That's good, really good!" Goku soon had a little list of non-biological or indirect family members, and Hanabi and Shinobu were both watching him in awe. Sanzo cleared his throat.

"That's quite a list." Despite his stoicism, there was a not-so-obvious warmth in his tone. Goku hoped the children could hear it, even as Sanzo tented his fingers on his desk. "Our families are much bigger than we all realized, aren't they? Hanabi-chan, Shinobu-kun, thank you for sharing and broadening our horizons. We all learned something new. You may sit. Son-sensei, thank you for helping them."

Hanabi, too, turned and whispered, "Thank you, Saru-sensei," before scampering back to her desk with Shinobu beside her. Gojyo got up from his seat before she sat down, only to kneel in front of her and whisper something into her ear, something that made her glow with happiness. Goku returned to his place, feeling warm and fuzzy and still a little excited still.

He floated on that balmy sea of happiness through the rest of the class, still listening eagerly as the last few children showed off their family trees, and keenly but happily aware that some of the parents were still looking back at him from time to time. He'd put himself out there, and he was walking away feeling strong.

Goku knew it would be his job most days to help the children get their shoes back on and to zip jackets and such when the weather got cold, but today, Goku stood back and let the parents pack their children up. However, he was standing near the door, admiring the children and running through their names in his head again when a big hand clapped his shoulder.

“Yo!” Goku turned to find Sha Gojyo beaming at him, Hanabi holding his hand. “Saru-sensei, right?”

“Um, it's Son-sen--” He looked at Hanabi, then halted and sighed into a reluctant smile. “Well, I guess Saru-sensei is okay.”

Gojyo's grin just stretched, like an especially friendly dog who'd gotten a scratch behind the ears. “I wanted to thank ya.” He slid his hand from Hanabi's hand up her arm. “It's nice my girl's got a friend like you at the front of the room. Uh, take good care of her, okay?” His demeanor shifted just a little, and he actually bowed his head. Goku bowed his head back.

“I will! I'm glad she's in my class!”

Gojyo chuckled, and he looked ready to say something else, but Goku heard Sanzo clear his throat behind him. “Mr. Sha?” Gojyo turned and Goku peered over his shoulder to see Sanzo waiting, running an appraising eye over Gojyo. From that tiny scrunch in Sanzo's nose, Goku figured he didn't like what he saw. “I'd hoped to have a private word with you.”

“Uh, sure, Sensei.” He narrowed his eyes a little, but stepped back from Hanabi and flashed his teeth in a quick grin. “Be right back, short stack.” He turned and followed Sanzo to the other side of the room, long legs tensed, but though Goku wished he could read their lips, he got distracted by a tug on his pant leg.

“Saru-sensei! I got a question for you!” Hanabi was gazing up at him with at least a little admiration, and Goku crouched down to her level.

“What's up?”

“Do you know what happened to your Mom and Dad?” She smiled big and bright, but Goku felt a little cold spot in his chest.

“Oh.” He glanced down to her shoelaces, the focusing on the criss-cross of the strings rather than her imploring gaze. “Um, no. They just weren't there.”

Hanabi sucked her lower lip in. “Yeah, kinda like my Mommy.” She shuffled her feet, kicking at the ground. “And... that's okay, right?”

"Of course it is!" Goku put both hands on her shoulders and met her eyes, choosing his words very carefully. Kids could be so sensitive, they were still learning how to think and feel, and Goku got the idea that this was one of those moments that would really help her think. "Think of all your Daddy does to show you he loves you. Your Daddy takes good care of you, right? And he chooses to do that every day, right? Nobody makes him, nobody tells him to pack your bento, tie your shoes, braid your hair, and call you 'short stack,' he does it 'cause he wants to." Something flashed over Hanabi's face; she'd clearly never thought of that before. Goku just winked. "And he chooses to be friends with Hakkai-san, and Hakkai-san chooses to care about you too, right?"

Now, understanding was dawning all over Hanabi's face. "Yeah, that's right."

Goku grinned and squeezed her arm. "And isn't that great? See, it's a little secret." He put his finger to his lips for a second, then leaned close. "I think the family you choose is just as important as the one you're born into. Sometimes, even a little more important. You choose to love your Daddy and be a good girl for him, you choose to love Mr. Hakkai, they choose to love you back, and the fact that you're making that choice makes it really important."

Hanabi's eyes were wide, twinkling with curiosity, and she nodded a few times. "You missed something."

"What's that?" Goku cocked his head, and Hanabi giggled.

"Hakkai packs my bento! Daddy can't cook at all, so he _chooses_ to go to the convenience store!"

Goku laughed, but just then, Gojyo's voice cut through the room: "Hey, you can say to him anything you can say to me." Goku and Hanabi both turned to see that Hakkai had gone to join Gojyo, and Gojyo had puffed his chest up like an agitated rooster. Sanzo said something in a milder tone with a mild scowl that only made Gojyo turn red. "If you think I give a sh--"

"Gojyo." Hakkai seized his arm. "We're at school."

"Ohh, he almost said a rough word." Hanabi's mouth formed a little 'o' as Hakkai bodily pulled Gojyo away from Sanzo and to Hanabi. He flashed Hanabi a quick smile as he deposited Gojyo next to her.

“Wait in the hall for me, won't you?” Hakkai winked at Gojyo, but Goku could see the faint tension in the lines of his mouth. Gojyo scowled, but he took Hanabi by the shoulder.

“C'mon, kiddo, let's get those shoes on.” He flashed Goku a smile that didn't hide his muted fury, and guided her into the hall with her street shoes in hand. Hakkai had already returned to Sanzo, but whatever words the two were exchanging, they were too quiet for Goku to hear and Sanzo was already shaking his head. After a brief conversation, Hakkai bowed and stepped back, gathered Shinobu from his desk, and left with a very quick, 'Take care' to Goku as he passed. Shinobu waved to Goku, and Goku waved back until he went out of sight.

Finally, when all the children were gone, Sanzo sank into the chair at the teacher's desk with a heavy sigh and let his head fall into his hands. “That could have gone worse.”

“You're the optimistic type, huh?” Goku stood on the other side of his desk, grinning a little and leaning forward. Sanzo's nostrils flared.

“I'm a realist. Parents in a classroom can be a disaster.” He scrubbed down over his eyes with both palms, scraping at his hair. “Fortunately, the helicopters were on their best behavior. I'm more used to parents who want nothing to do with their brats.”

Goku swallowed thickly. “Must've had a rough crowd.”

“Don't mumble.” Sanzo shot him a venomous look, but it quickly softened. “Anyway, you did alright. Good job jumping on the ball.” He tented his fingers. “I appreciate you seizing a teachable moment, and helping to save two children from possible humiliation.”

Sanzo's praise felt like sunlight on his face and in his heart. Goku felt like he was floating a little. Today was officially awesome.

“It was no problem! Plus, it wasn't like I was lying.” Goku rocked on his heels, then glanced to the door. It was shut, and he decided to take the unspoken dare: “I mean, times are changing, little by little. Maybe, one of these days, stuff like Mr. Cho and Mr. Sha's family situation, or my Uncles, won't be so, y'know...”

“Taboo.” Sanzo heaved another sigh. “Until such a time, however...”

“Is that what you were going to warn me about?”

Sanzo glanced up, frowning. “What, that two of our parents were a couple? I didn't think it'd matter to you.”

“Oh.” Goku cocked his head; that was unexpected. Sanzo's non-reaction was actually refreshing. “Well, I watched Hanabi close all day like you said, but she seemed just like the rest of the kids, so, uh--”

“Hmph. That.” Sanzo pulled a sour face, then stood up. Goku saw his eyes flit to the door too, but he crossed his arms and turned his gaze to the floor. “It's highly confidential, need-to-know basis stuff. Because parents were coming today, I'd hoped to warn you, but thankfully nothing came to pass.” His lips thinned into a hard line. “I was trying to warn that idiot, but he got defensive too damn fast, especially since I'm not allowed to tell his damn boyfriend...” Sanzo grunted, but fixed Goku with a look. “Not even sure I'm supposed to tell you, but it's a security issue.”

“Is it Gojyo-san? He seemed awful nice, until you ticked him off.”

Sanzo's face tightened even further, and Goku braced his fingers on the desk. He'd thought the most interesting thing he'd learn today would be all the children's names and the very first basics of being a teacher. Instead, Sanzo slowly inhaled. “Mr. Sha isn't the problem. Nor is Hanabi, or at least, not directly.” He exhaled, shaking his head, and pushed his hair from his face. “Apparently, the school has been receiving some strange, threatening phone calls, and the assault on Mrs. Hanamura has the administrative staff on high alert.”

“Assault?!” Goku's jaw dropped. “On the teacher?!”

Sanzo hummed and crossed his arms. “It's still being investigated, but the police and administration alike have suspicions that the culprit of the strange phone calls asking about Sha Hanabi and the assault on Mrs. Hanamura are one and the same, especially considering that Mrs. Hanamura was robbed of both her wallet and her class ledger with all of the students' personal information. I was trying to warn Mr. Sha myself.”

Goku had no way of knowing what Sanzo was about to say next, but as much as it was about to recolor his entire semester, it was about to shift Gojyo's life...

* * *

 

“... So, we got any idea what happened to Hanamura-sensei? I liked her.” Gojyo knew he was pouting, and Hanabi giggled and prodded at his ribs, making him jump to the other side of the sidewalk.

“You're whining, Daddy.”

“Yeah, well.” Gojyo stuck his tongue out at her, and Hakkai, walking behind them with Shinobu holding his hand, laughed softly.

“I imagine Sanzo-sensei was a bit tense, and for some, that can come across as being a bit, er--”

“Of an asshole, yeah.” Gojyo clicked his tongue, and Hakkai tsked him.

“In front of the children, Gojyo. What I was going to say was 'acidic.' Like a lemon.” Shinobu pulled a face, and Hakkai patted his back. “But you liked him, Shinobu?”

“Mhm. I'm glad he let me an' Hana talk.”

“I think he actually kinda liked it! He wanted us to say more 'bout our smoothie family!” Hanabi bounced on her heels, and Gojyo and Hakkai traded smiles over Gojyo's shoulder and across the sidewalk.

“Sheesh, all this talk of smoothies is kinda makin' me snacky. What say we drop our stuff off and go get some treats before we head over to Hakkai's place?” He winked at Hakkai, because it was the closest he could come to saying out loud just how damn proud he was of his daughter.

Of his _kids_. Because damn if seeing it all sketched out in crayon and jumbled katakana hadn't made the last six months he'd spent with Hakkai and Shinobu feel like something much, much more solid than he'd ever thought he'd have in his life. He wouldn't think twice now about calling what they had a family, even with the little warning Hakkai had given him under his breath in the classroom:

_"They're staring, I know, but it's something we'll need to get used to." Hakkai had bitten his lip and squeezed the chair tighter, keeping himself from jumping to his feet to defend Shinobu as the children protested their unique family structure. Gojyo squeezed his forehead harder. "If we're going to be more visible, we'll have to face the consequences..." It had been right then that the student teacher had jumped to their kids' aid..._

It didn't matter that it was weird or different, not to Gojyo, and luckily, it seemed, not to too many others. Still, that serious scowl the sub had given him put pins and needles in Gojyo's gut. "Hey, Hakkai, did that Sanzo guy tell you what he wanted to tell me?"

"I'm afraid he said he was only allowed to disclose it to you. He cited privacy laws." Hakkai sucked his cheeks in. "You and I are not married, so unfortunately, I'm not privy to private matters between you, Hanabi, and the school."

It was Gojyo's turn to pull a face like he'd sucked on a lemon. "Ain't that a bitch." Hanabi poked Gojyo between the ribs again. "Oi, watch it!"

"You've got a salty mouth today!" Hanabi laughed and poked at him again, but Gojyo dodged.

"Hey, it was a pretty exciting day. Sometimes, this mouth of mine just does whatever it wants when I get excited." He flashed her a toothy grin, then spun to face forward on the sidewalk. "Well, whatever that Sanzo-sensei has to say, he can call me later, or I'll chat with him tomorrow."

Gojyo turned the corner for his apartment, and saw something that made him forget about anything he might have wanted to say to Hanabi's teacher. He instantly pivoted back around to Hakkai, Shinobu, and Hanabi. “Hey, guys, just wait here while I go put Hanabi's backpack up, alright?” He took her pack, and though Hakkai's face creased with a small frown, he seemed to have noticed the same thing as Gojyo: someone standing on his doorstep. The difference was, Gojyo already knew who it was there.

Gojyo managed to stroll despite the tension in his knees and elbows, forced a cool smile despite the urge to scream rising in his throat. He walked up the stairs, and the smell of cigarette smoke hit him like a wave of nostalgia and nausea at the same time. There she was, leaning against the railing outside of his little flat, smoking a cigarette between her long fingers. She'd cut her hair short since the last time he saw her, a rough pixie cut, but the rest of her was the same: gaunt cheeks, thin eyebrows, a grin like a she-wolf and just a little ferocity in the way she carried herself. Gojyo still felt a little desire well in him from the sway in her hips, but he knew too much about her to ever want her in his bed again, or even anywhere near him, but here she was and she'd found him somehow and oh, God, what did she want?

She spotted him, and turned, cigarette still between her fingers, and smirked at him. “Yo. Glad you showed up when you did, it's hot as balls out here and you kept me waiting, I was damn near ready to break your door down.”

Gojyo halted, but made himself shake his head as if he'd just found Hanabi making sandcastles out of the laundry detergent powder. Like there was nothing he could do with this mess but try to clean up what he could and maybe, _maybe_ laugh about it later. “What can I do for you, Banri-san?”

“Gojyo.” she laughed, shaking her head, then crushed her dying cigarette out against his door and fixed him with a fierce grin. “After all we've been through, you're trying to be formal? You can still call me Hina, if you want.”

Gojyo clenched his jaw for a second. “Yeah, well, it's been a while, Hinata.” He crossed his arms tight, as if he could keep his heart from leaping out of his chest. “What brings you here?”

“Ain't it obvious?” Hinata was still grinning at him, standing straight and tall as if she were already standing on his chest. “I'm here for my baby, Gojyo. Where's my daughter?”

 


	4. Round and Round We Go...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gojyo is sent for a loop when a surprise appears on his doorstep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise bonus chapter! I couldn't leave you all hanging that long!

**4: Round and Round We Go...**

Banri Hinata, Hanabi's mother – _delivery service_ , Gojyo thought with a bitter tang on his tongue – was standing on his doorstep for the first time in four years, looking just the same kind of bitch she had been back then in her shredded leggings and punk tee that showed off her chest, all made up and sexy like a mousetrap lined with Spanish fly. There she stood as if she hadn't strolled out with all the money in Gojyo's wallet, never to come back or to be heard from again, a ghost in everything but gravestone.

And she had the metaphorical balls to ask him, "Where's my baby?"

Sometimes, Gojyo wished he were a little less of a god-damned gentleman.

"I just dropped our girl at one of her friend's houses for the afternoon." Gojyo shoved his hands deep into his pockets to keep his arms from ripping forth and wrapping his fingers around her neck. "Now, let's be real for a second: she doesn't know you."

Hinata rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Please, she sucked my tit for a year, she'll know her mama." She took out another cigarette. "Guess it's just as well she's not here, she'd probably just get underfoot." She jerked her head towards Gojyo's apartment door. "How about you get in there and start packing her up? You got a suitcase for her, or do you gotta go out and buy one?"

This was happening. This was actually fucking happening. Gojyo dug his heels in. "I don't know what you're talking about. We're not going anywhere. If you think you're going to march up here and just take Hanabi, you're gonna need to think again. I'm the only parent she knows, she was too little to remember you, and she's not going off with a damn stranger."

"I ain't a stranger – What, didn't you tell her about me?" Hinata crossed her arms, but Gojyo huffed with revulsion.

"What did you want me to say? 'Oh, yeah, kiddo, your Mom walked out on you when you were too little to talk and you cried for her for a week straight, and we haven't heard from her since then!'" Gojyo found himself snarling already. "I told her that you decided it'd be better if I took care of you. She hasn't asked much else. I've taken damn good care of her, because someone had to after you fucked off to wherever you went, and she's been happy! You're really gonna show up out of nowhere and carry her off? She doesn't even know what you look like, you're a fucking stranger!"

"Whose fault is that?" She cocked an eyebrow. "Look, I needed a break, but I want my girl back now."

Gojyo's fists balled in his pockets. "She ain't your girl." He thumbed his chest. "It took two to tango, and only one of us has been dancing these last four years."

Hinata actually smirked. "Yeah, but she's mine, and I want her. You go ahead and pack her up, and we'll work out the custody and child support stuff later."

Gojyo got knocked right out of anger into shock, and sputtered stupidly for a second before he could make words again. "Child support?! You actually want me to pay you -- shit, you owe me like four years of that shit!"

"Shitty dads have to pay it to moms, don't you know? Child support, alimony -- you ruined my life, Gojyo." She flapped her hand, then turned and lit a fresh cigarette. "You know how hard it is to make it as a single mom?"

"You haven't fucking been a mom!" Gojyo stomped his foot, but there was an echo of more footsteps behind him, and Gojyo's heart hit his knees.

"Daddy!" Hanabi was running from behind him. "What's taking so lon--" Gojyo turned just as Hanabi skidded to a halt, her eyes going wide when she spotted Hinata, and just as Hakkai and Shinobu came up behind her.

"Hanabi, I asked you to..." Hakkai trailed off as he saw what Hanabi was seeing, and something wicked sparked in Hinata's face.

"There's my baby." She pushed past Gojyo, and all Gojyo could do was stumble aside. Hanabi had frozen in place, absorbing Hinata's face with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation.

"M... Mommy?"

"She does know me." Hinata smirked again, bending at the knee and extending her hand to pinch Hanabi's cheek, but before she could, Hakkai had put himself between them.

"I'm afraid we haven't met, Miss--"

"Banri. Banri Hinata." Hinata went ugly fast, cigarette slouching in the corner of her mouth, face drawn into a dour scowl. "Who the hell are you getting between me and my daughter?"

Hakkai remained unmoved. "I'm sorry, Banri-san, but it's my understanding that this is Sha Gojyo's daughter. Her mother is quite gone."

"Her mother is quite _back_ , asshole, and I'm not gonna let some know-nothing pretty-boy get between me and her. That right there is Banri Hanabi, and she's coming with me." Hinata whipped around. "Gojyo, go get her shit, I'm not waiting around anymore."

"Sha Hanabi," she whispered from behind Hakkai's legs. Hakkai glanced behind him, right as she circled around him and held a hand out. "Someone's supposed to introduce people, 'cause that's manners, 'cept you know most of my name and got it wrong. I'm Sha Hanabi, okay?" She hesitated, as Hinata gaped at her, then added, "It's nice to meet you, Mommy."

Hinata could only stare for a moment, then soured again. "Right. Guess you would be using your sperm donor's name." Hanabi let her hand fall when she realized Hinata wasn't looking at her anymore, and Gojyo drew himself as tight as he could, shutting everything else down and gathering himself up because someone needed to stand tall for his tiny, tiny girl.

"It's on her birth certificate," Gojyo muttered, and he went to stand at Hanabi's side and took her hand. "Look, Hanabi's not coming with you today. Hana, tell the lady what we're gonna do today."

"We're..." He couldn't look at her as her hand shook against his palm, but he knew she was staring at her feet and damn it, he hated standing by and watching her be crushed. "We're gonna go get smoothies, and do homework, and Mr. Hakkai said we could play Monopoly later."

"Mr. Hakkai, is it?" Hinata raised an eyebrow at Hakkai where he stood behind Gojyo. "You know what, fine. If you want to get cops involved, we can get cops involved. Hanabi, Mommy's going to come back for you."

"Hanabi doesn't have a Mommy!" Shinobu shouted suddenly, stomping forward. "She has her Daddy and my Daddy and that's fine! There's no nasty ladies on our family tree!"

Hinata scowled, uglier than ever, then fixed Gojyo and Hakkai with a venomous smirk. "Is that so? It figures, you miss this pussy a little while and go all fag on me while I'm gone."

"Watch your language." Gojyo bit back every nasty thing he could have said and managed to throw Hinata a disapproving frown. "She knows not to repeat when Daddy says bad words, and now I gotta un-teach these two a whole bunch of stuff they can't say at school."

"Whatever." Hinata put her hands on her hips. "Expect to hear from my lawyer. I'm going to get my daughter, and everything you owe me, one way or another. Get out of my way."

Gojyo pulled Hanabi close as Hinata stormed past, clutching her hand tight as Hinata flashed her sly smile at Hanabi, then, subtly, shifted to an evil smirk for Hakkai, before turning down the stairs and vanishing to the sidewalk below. The second she left their view again, Gojyo got down on his knees to look Hanabi in the eye, smoothing her hair back and patting the little buns he'd braided that morning.

"You okay, starshine?"

He wished she would just laugh and smile and say something like, 'Oh, Daddy, I'm sure she's just cranky 'cause her shirt's too tight!' but no. Instead, she just whimpered, "Daddy..." Then, it turned into a wail: "DADDY!" She burst out crying, implacable and uncontrollable, and Gojyo scooped her to his chest and clutched her tight.

“Okay, you're not okay and that's okay, it's alright, baby...”

“Why's she wanna _get_ me?” Hanabi sobbed into his chest, and Gojyo glanced up to Hakkai, wanting to ask for help but knowing from Hakkai's wide-eyed expression that he was just as lost as him. “If she takes me, does that mean you're gonna go? Daddy, Daddy, I don't wanna, I don't wanna!”

Gojyo held her tight, trying to solidify himself around her as she crumbled. “Breathe, baby, it's not gonna be like that...”

“She's mean,” Shinobu whispered to Hakkai, angry and harsh, “Daddy, that lady can't have Hana, she doesn't know her!”

“Shinobu, dear, now is not the--”

Hanabi's wailing ratcheted louder, and Gojyo finally scooped her up and clutched her to his chest. “Hakkai, let's get home. I think Hanabi needs some quiet time.” He didn't wait for Hakkai to answer, just carrying her and all of her things in a bundle in his arms.

He still recalled, so clearly, the first time he'd held this screaming little bundle in his arms. How he'd wanted to protect her, how he never wanted her to cry in pain or hurt, how she needed him now and how he'd give her everything he had to give.

He'd never fathomed that she could be taken away.

* * *

There were no smoothies that afternoon.

Homework would be accomplished with a note of apology to the teacher.

Monopoly just wasn't happening.

There was nothing but crying and screaming and pitiful whimpering every time someone tried to talk, and Gojyo standing as strong as he could against the storm, whispering promises that they were staying together, that she wasn't going anywhere, that she didn't have to go. Hanabi had nearly cried herself out by dinner, but she still pushed her broccoli and chicken around the plate without really eating any of it. Gojyo didn't even bother scolding her. Instead, he let her lay on his lap and rubbed her back until she fell asleep, still muttering soft promises: “I'm not goin' anywhere. Nobody's gonna take you.”

When the children were finally laid down to sleep properly, Gojyo stood in the doorway a minute longer, watching Hanabi sleep all curled up in her futon. He closed the door tight, and motioned for Hakkai to follow him, before marching out of the house, to the back yard, and straight to a narrow little tree in the center of the yard. Then, he punched it as hard as he could.

“She can't take my daughter!” He punched the bark over and over, his knuckles splitting. “I've given everything – my whole life – I would've died for her if it meant she'd be happy!” He stopped his rampage, panting, then tore his hands into his hair. “Hakkai, she's my whole world, she's my sun, moon, and stars, how do I--” Words failed, thought failed, the panic was sucking him into a vortex, but Hakkai's hands were around his and kept him from tugging his hair any harder.

“I know you're not okay, and you have been strong to hold back your distress so long.” Hakkai's voice was even and steady, even devoid of his usual cheer. Somehow, the lack of forced pleasantness was grounding. “It's alright to let it out. However, it is not constructive. How can I get you to a place where you can be constructive?” Gojyo still couldn't think, but he sucked in another breath then threw his arms around Hakkai. Hakkai stumbled for a second, but he caught his balance, then hushed Gojyo and patted his back. “Good for the goose, good for the gander, is it?” He actually laughed a little. “I'll hold you as long as you need that.”

Gojyo nodded, not trusting his mouth, and exhaled as Hakkai smoothed his palm down his back.

They stood like that for a long time, Gojyo's hands and heart still aching and bleeding, and Hakkai holding him together. When he did trust himself enough and collect himself to talk, it was to say, “I don't know what's gonna happen.”

“That must be terrifying for you.” Gojyo nodded, because he couldn't make himself admit it out loud. “There is no way to know what will happen, but we can theorize.” Hakkai loosened his hold on Gojyo so he could ease a step back and look at him, eye to eye. “Banri-san will likely contact an attorney, and sue you for child custody. You will need to retain legal counsel as well, and you will need to defend your right to be her father, even as a single father. Given that you have raised her by yourself for the past several years, and that you have multiple witnesses who will testify that you were and have been a competent father, you have evidence on your side. However.” Hakkai bit his lip and bit off his optimism. “Many family courts tend to favor the mother's right to the child. Even with your evidence that you are a competent father, there is a very present reality that you will be ordered to give Banri-san access to Hanabi-chan. She will likely gain partial custody or, at the very least, supervised visitation.” Gojyo grimaced, but Hakkai, stonefaced, concluded, “It would be wise to prepare Hanabi for the very likely reality that she may need to spend time away from you, and that she will have to get to know her mother.”

Gojyo tried to swallow that, but the very notion was too thick in his throat. “I dunno. I just... why? Why would she show up out of the blue now?”

“I can't say, I'm afraid.” Hakkai's mien took on a gentle sort of empathy as he stroked Gojyo's hair a few times. “Perhaps she had regrets. Perhaps she thought herself composed enough to be a mother now, and wanted to return.”

“The bitch was talking child support, and alimony – fuck, I didn't marry her, and she's asking me to pay for her to take my daughter away.” Gojyo shivered. “It feels like this is just one of her damn scams, or maybe she just wants to hurt me. She said I ruined her life.”

Hakkai was quiet for a moment, then sighed. “I'd rather not entertain those notions, as painful as they are. I'd rather think Banri-san at least has a good motive for asking her daughter's return, but I'm afraid you know her best.”

“I'd say I wish that weren't true, 'cept being with her gave me the best thing in my whole life.” Gojyo shook his head slowly. “She gave me Hanabi, and I wouldn't trade her for anything. And...” He realized he was smiling without meaning to. “Hanabi led me to you and Shinobu. I got my own little family now, and here this comes...” He heaved a sigh and bowed his head into Hakkai's shoulder. “I don't know. I can't lose her.”

“Gojyo, you won't lose her.” Hakkai pulled Gojyo close again. “I will not let that happen, either. I know a very good lawyer who will stand in your corner. And if there is ever a moment of doubt, then please know that I will be in your corner as well, and that you will not lose me and Shinobu.” Gojyo felt a bubble in his throat, and buried his face in Hakkai's shoulder deeper. Hakkai stroked his hair and back a few times. “We're in this together. After all, you're in my family circle. Our smoothie.” He smiled against Gojyo's neck. “We will not be unblended now.”

Gojyo let Hakkai hold him, forgetting how small he felt and letting Hakkai be strong for him in this moment. Even as Hakkai's little tree cracked and splintered behind them, as Gojyo's knuckles still stung from the breaking blows, they were standing strong together, and Gojyo knew that they would have to if they were going to weather this storm.

Their circle would remain unbroken.

**Author's Note:**

> A few quick translations, just in case:
> 
> "nee-chan" literally means "big sister," and the diminutive is used for someone young and friendly with the speaker. Shinobu referring to "Yaone-nee-san" earlier is distinguished with the "-san" used to indicate more respect.
> 
> "hime-sama" means "Princess." It is, of course, being used playfully.
> 
> Hanafuda is a Japanese card set, literally "flower cards," but the term also refers to the games that can be played with the set. There are games that can be played with people of all ages, with different rule sets that can be built on.
> 
> In Japan, the Prime Minister is not elected directly, but instead selected by a vote of the Diet members.
> 
> Finally, same-sex marriage is not legal in Japan. While homosexual acts are legal and homosexuality is widely accepted, discrimination against LGBT individuals is not explicitly outlawed or covered by anti-discrimination laws, there are no legal protections for same-sex couples, international same-sex marriages are not recognized, same-sex couples cannot legally adopt (and lesbians and single women are not allowed access to IVF), and most political parties eschew discussion of LGBT rights, whether they are for or against them, altogether. In short, Hanabi pushing her uncles to get married is just a little bit of a sore spot, since it's not possible and the odds of their marriage becoming legal are very slim.


End file.
